The Lost Dragon
by Jadebell
Summary: With the help of a new SGW, Wuya puts a spell on Raimundo that turns him into her evil slave. Meanwhile, Jack is forced to join the good guys after she attacks his parents, inadvertently discovering something about himself that he never knew ...
1. Eclipse of the Heart

**Uploaded: 17th June 2004**

_**Main summary: **A new Shen Gong Wu becomes active, and Wuya uses it with the Reversing Mirror to turn Raimundo into her evil slave. The Xiaolin warriors flee the temple with their Shen Gong Wu, and must try to stop her taking over the world, which is made far more difficult when she later regains her full powers. They are joined by some unusual allies along the way - including Jack Spicer, who is more heavily involved with the Shen Gong Wu than he even knows._

_**Timeline:** Starts from the end of "In the Flesh" and branches off afterwards. Completely disregards season 2 canon.__**  
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_**Characters/POV: **Written in a weird cross between third-person omniscient and third-person limited. I think. Usually it'll be the first one, since I jump between characters a lot, so most of the main characters have their own time in the spotlight in this fic and the sequel. However, the fics lean towards being more and more Jack-centric as the story progresses, shifting to be more from his POV._  
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****Genre:** Action/Adventure/Fantasy, heavy accent on the fantasy._

_**Rated:** PG-13/T, for infrequent strong language and for violence (death and torture in later chapters)._

_**Couples: **One-sided Jack/Kimiko._

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or its characters. I only own the plot of this story (and several made-up characters), and about 80 odd Shen Gong Wu._

_**Additional notes:** I started writing the plan for this story and the subsequent sequels well before season two began airing in America (11th Sept 2004). This means Wuya has purple hair, as opposed to red. In this fic she looks like she does at the beginning of Journey of a Thousand Miles, the first episode of the first series. (It also means the Reversing Mirror didn't break, and Chase doesn't exist.)_

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**The Lost Dragon**

**Chapter 1: Eclipse of the Heart **

"This is bad," muttered Kimiko, her mouth and eyes wide open in complete shock. "Very, _very_, bad."

'Bad' didn't even begin to describe it. The three Xiaolin warriors could only stare in horror as they took in their surroundings. An eerie, _evil_, murky darkness covered the land. Only moments before, they had been battling in the light of the full moon, on a peaceful stretch of land. But now, under a darkened moon, everything looked ... dead, as if the very life-force had been drained from the earth itself. Trees withered and drooped, looking more like crooked, old, decrepit men, and parts of the ground were cracked and distorted, wrenched forcefully out of position.

Dojo had taken it upon himself to quiver inside Clay's hat, and with good reason. Up in front of them, on top of a fractured hill, stood a tall woman: the Heylin witch Wuya, the cause of the desolate, ruinous world. Dashi's magical objects, the Shen Gong Wu, were responsible for keeping the balance between good and evil on Earth. Their source of stability had been severely disrupted when Wuya returned to Earth in her ghostly form, causing much imbalance and tilting the world towards the side of darkness. It made sense that she would affect the world even further in her true form.

When Wuya removed her mask, Omi was the only brave enough to speak, and yet all he could utter was: "Wuya...?"

She smirked maliciously and replied, "In the flesh." She began to cackle evilly as green magical flames encircled her, and the immediate area suddenly took on a greenish tinge.

Kimiko fought the urge to sigh, despite herself. _How dramatic._ What was it about evil witches that made them feel the need to cackle? She looked past Wuya as the flames died away. Standing a slight way behind the snickering witch was a rather smug-looking Raimundo. Kimiko's eyes narrowed as flames of her own suddenly flared inside her like never before.

There were more important things to worry about than Raimundo's betrayal, though, as Wuya took a few steps down the hillock towards the warriors, instantly snapping everyone out of their thoughts. Omi growled, while they all took defensive stances. Despite the initial shock, everyone knew what they had to do. This _was_, after all, what they had been training for. If Wuya gained possession of all the Shen Gong Wu now, there would be ten thousand years of darkness. They could _not_ let her get the better of them.

"Don't think you have won _anything_," Omi said firmly, frowning deeply in determination and showing no sign of fear now. "Even if you have regained your physical form, we will still defeat you!"

"Is that so?" Wuya said lazily, still smirking slightly and still coming closer.

"You'd better believe it," said an equally determined Clay.

Keeping his eyes on the Heylin witch, Omi hurriedly tried to think of a plan. In their haste to arrive here before Raimundo used the Serpent's Tail, the warriors had forgotten to bring any Shen Gong Wu, and they had no idea what Wuya was capable of. Perhaps it would be better to retreat for now, and battle Wuya when they were better prepared.

Kimiko threw that plan right out of the window, where it smashed and burned spectacularly on the ground.

"_Fire!_ "

She whizzed through the air as she ran and executed an impressive flying kick, aimed for Wuya's head. Unfortunately, the kick never connected; Wuya performed a semi-circular motion in the air with her right hand, tracing an invisible line in the air above her head. Kimiko collided against an unseeable wall of sorts, which bounced her away and sent her, like Omi's plan, crashing on the ground.

"Kimiko!" Omi yelled. "Are you okay?"

"Ow... that hurt BIG TIME," she groaned, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. Memories of her fight against Jack Spicer's Chameleon-bot came flooding back; she hadn't been able to make a dent on that, either.

"Foolish _child_," sneered Wuya.

"_So_ not fair," Kimiko retorted from her spot on the floor. "You're not supposed to use _magic_."

"Uh, Kimiko ..." said Raimundo, raising an eyebrow at her as she went back to where the Xiaolin warriors were standing. He pointed at Wuya with the front end of the Serpent's Tail. "She's a _witch_. What did you _think_ she was going to do?"

Kimiko exploded with furious rage, pointing an angry finger at Raimundo. "Shut up – you – you – you traitor!" she hissed, nothing but pure hatred in her voice. "Just shut up!"

Raimundo said nothing, but met her fierce stare, glare for glare. _I don't care what you think,_ he thought angrily. _This is what you get for dissing me._

Omi and Clay looked on as Wuya raised her right arm slightly, causing a strange purple-black ball of energy to pulse from her hand. Omi's eyes narrowed, trying to figure out what she was doing, while Clay was silently contemplating whether it would be unchivalrous to attack her, evil witch or not.

"We should leave, and I mean right _now_," said Dojo's voice from Clay's hat.

"I agree," said Omi solemnly. "We do not have any Shen Gong Wu to help us."

Still quivering in rage at Raimundo, Kimiko could not believe her ears. "_What_? No way! I'm not afraid of _her_!" And it was true. She _wasn't_ scared of her. Although surprised somewhat at Wuya's shield, she wasn't thinking clearly right now. Wuya _and_ Raimundo needed to be taught a lesson. That was all that mattered.

"Now I know how you're always rarin' to go, what with that temper o' yours," said Clay patiently, recognising the signs of a Mount Kimiko eruption of anger, "but I reckon they're right. We'll come back later an' use the Shen Gong Wu to bust her up, no prob."

Dojo popped his head out from Clay's hat briefly to assert his agreement, and then zoomed back inside.

Wuya frowned at Clay's comment, looking insulted. She raised her arm high, looking as if she was summoning enough energy to make the sun disappear, too.

"Do you honestly believe that _you_, mere _children_, can stop ME? I've defeated _thousands_ of warriors, all hundreds of times more experienced than _you_. Dashi – " her eyes took on a distant look, and she lowered her arm slightly "– _Dashi_ was the only one who was able to defeat me, and he was a fully-fledged Dragon warrior. You three don't stand a chance!"

Kimiko humphed, clearly not impressed. Omi's phrase, 'the weak talk, the strong take _action'_, sprung to mind. "That was then; this is now! Talk is cheap, witch-lady!"

"Have it _your_ way, then."

What happened next happened so fast that there was no time to think. Wuya hurled her monstrous black ball at the three warriors, but anticipating an attack, they were able to dive out of the way, albeit in three very different directions. Omi landed on his feet and focused himself, channelling his chi energy, while Clay (having decided that she was, in fact, evil enough to warrant an attack) yelled, "Earth!" and charged straight at her. Kimiko leapt high from the opposite direction, preparing to deal another kick. Wuya jumped deftly out of harm's way, leaving Kimiko to smash into Clay instead. Omi almost knocked the witch over from behind with his Tsunami Strike, but at the last moment, she put up her magic wall, and Omi bounced harmlessly off towards his two fallen comrades. Raimundo snickered.

Dojo, who had still been underneath Clay's hat this entire time, recovered first. He crawled out onto the floor and said, "She's too powerful. We have to get out of here, now!"

Still entangling herself from Omi and Clay, Kimiko said, "But – "

"No buts!" snapped Dojo; already Wuya had another black ball of magic in her hand waiting to be thrown.

Without warning, the lizard-sized dragon grew to his 40-foot size, breathing out a tiny amount of fire but huge amounts of smoke. This caused everyone present to start coughing. The whole area became cloaked in a dense smoky fog, and while Wuya and Raimundo were distracted, Clay took a struggling Kimiko and leapt onto Dojo's back. Omi landed in front of them, just as Dojo started to rise into the sky.

When the smoke cleared away, Raimundo was still spluttering. He looked up and spotted Dojo flying away in the distance. "They got away!"

Surprisingly, Wuya didn't seem too bothered about this fact. She calmly walked to where the Reversing Mirror had been placed and looked at herself briefly, while dusting the soot off her clothes. "It doesn't matter."

"Say _what_? Don't you even _care_?"

"I've got more pressing matters to deal with now."

"Such as?"

She didn't answer right away, but she took the mirror and turned around, looking at the dark valley in front of them. At the other end of the small valley was another hill that rose much faster and much, much higher than this one did. It looked like it would be almost impossible to climb by any normal means.

Still looking in the same direction, she pointed with her free hand and said, "Can you use the Golden Tiger Claws to take us to the top of that hill?"

"Care to tell me what's going on?"

She cast him a sharp glance. "Just_ do it_."

"All right," he said, putting his hands up defensively. He added, "But it had better be worth it."

They arrived at the top of the monster hill, where Wuya handed him the Reversing Mirror, and then pointed her hand far away, to the middle of the space in front of them. A line of dark green light came from her hand and travelled to that centre point, and then six long green flames appeared from there, shooting in different directions at the same time. Raimundo recognised the symbol as mu, the Chinese character for wood The flames disappeared but left six dots in a hexagonal shape. Wuya shot a streak of yellow light followed by one of white light, and in the same way the symbols for earth (tu) and metal (jin) both appeared and disappeared one after the other, leaving several white and yellow dots behind.

There was now a star-shaped pattern of large round marks spaced about 25 feet apart. Wuya chanted something in Chinese and a white line appeared from the centre and joined the multi-coloured dots together. The whole pattern glowed a bright white colour and the ground started to rumble; Raimundo stumbled and fell down, dropping the Serpent's Tail and Reversing Mirror just as a huge structure rose out of the land itself. He calmly stood up, dusted himself and did a double take as he looked at what she had magically conjured.

There in front of them stood an impressive edifice, surrounded on all sides by a large stone wall. The building was predominantly dark red in colour, with several red columns supporting a scarlet curved and ridged roof. There were several stone lions and dragon-like creatures standing guard not only at the building's entrance but on the perimeter of the walls as well.

"Woah ..." he said quietly, who, despite what he'd said to Kimiko about witches and magic, looked quite surprised. "I did _not_ know you could do that."

"No," she said, "you didn't."

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_**Mandarin translations:**_

_**mu **– the Chinese character for wood_

_**tu** – earth_

_**jin **– metal_


	2. The Journey Begins

**Uploaded: 24th June 2004****  


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Chapter 2: The Journey Begins**

As the Xiaolin warriors rode atop Dojo's back, they could see how much the world had been affected; everywhere they passed had the same taint of darkness, the same withered trees, and the same icy waft of evil. The mood matched that of their surroundings: a gloomy depression hung over the group like a dark cloud. Nobody seemed to want to say anything. Omi had a sad, pensive look on his face, certainly looking dumped in the downs.

Kimiko had calmed down somewhat, and had tried using her mobile phone to contact her family, but no network sign was coming up. She tried using her laptop, and then her PDA, but nothing seemed to be working. She sighed deeply. She _was_ worried about her family, wondering what they would make of the dark skies, but, annoyingly enough, her thoughts kept wandering to Raimundo.

Ever since they – Clay, Kimiko and Rai – had joined the Xiaolin temple six months ago, she'd sometimes wondered about Raimundo's commitment to their cause. He hadn't always taken the Shen Gong Wu quest as seriously as he should have, but he'd been willing to make up for his mistakes. At least in the past, anyway... She'd tried to comfort him when he hadn't been promoted to Xiaolin Apprentice, but, as usual, he'd been stubborn about it, refusing to be consoled.

But she'd never have even dreamt that he would have sided with Wuya. What was he trying to prove, anyway? That he was better than them? The look that she'd seen on his face had confirmed her thoughts: his smirk had said, "Who's the great one now?" Well, he certainly had a long way to go if he wanted to show that he was worth anything to _her_. She uttered a low growl. They were enemies now. Nothing would change that.

Clay had the same feeling of disgust and anger, and all of it directed at Raimundo. He now looked as angry as Kimiko had at the battle scene, and, if he was being honest with himself, he had felt very much the same way as Kimiko had. He'd just hidden it better. But really, they had every right to be angry. After everything they'd been through, how could Raimundo have done this? How could Rai have betrayed them like this? Rai had played some mean tricks in the past, but this was worse, far, far worse. There was no way in hell that he'd ever forgive him for this one. Not in a million years.

Omi was staring at Dojo's back with a somewhat dumb-faced, stunned expression, as if what had happened hadn't quite sunk in yet. _Why has Rai done this?_ Omi wondered. Was it all his fault? He had been the one to push Rai away during their new training session, after all. Omi sighed sadly. Just like the moon high above them, Raimundo's spirit had been cast in shadow. An eclipse of the heart. And it wasn't just about Raimundo. They'd failed. They were supposed to have protected the world from becoming covered in darkness, but they'd failed. And now they had to return to Master Fung and tell him how, despite their best efforts, Wuya had been restored. Omi hoped against hope that Master Fung had a good back-up plan, because it was going to take more than three inexperienced dragons to defeat her.

* * *

Although the whole world had been covered in darkness, the group of mountains surrounding the Xiaolin temple was in full colour. The valley in which the temple stood was full of life; green-leafed, robust trees stood strong and proud; beautiful flowers bloomed defiantly in all their splendour; birds chirped as brightly as the morning sun; and in the middle of it all was the Xiaolin temple, a beacon of light in the sea of darkness. Understandably, the three humans were taken aback by this stark contrast. Dojo told them it was because the temple grounds were protected by good chi magic.

However, not even this sight could raise their morale. In fact, the three friends returned to the temple in such low spirits that Master Fung didn't even need to ask what had happened; he could tell from the expressions on their faces. Dojo looked particularly preoccupied; his gaze was distant and he was lost in serious thought.

"I am most ashamed, Master," said Omi, his head bowed dejectedly. He still felt that he was to blame for what had happened, especially since he had hesitated to fight Raimundo when the Brazilian had stolen the Serpent's Tail. "We have failed. Wuya – has been restored."

"Yeah," added Clay, letting all of his previous anger go with a deep sigh. "We tried to fight her, but we couldn't even get close."

"You battled with Wuya?"

"Briefly," Kimiko said, "but she was too strong, so we ... ran away."

"You did the right thing, young ones."

Kimiko had a brief moment where she actually identified with how Raimundo had felt when they had been told to flee from Mala Mala Jong. What was the point of all their training if they were just going to run away every time the going got tough?

Master Fung must have had some sort of secret mind-reading ability, because he said, "You are not yet ready to fight Wuya. While it is true that you have all trained hard for these past few months, you must know that you should only fight battles you know you cannot lose. There is nothing to be gained from fighting a battle if you know you are going to lose before you even start. And you must remember that winning is not everything. Sometimes _not_ losing can be just as favourable as a winning victory."

Everyone nodded, remembering the lesson they'd learned when Omi had sent the Golden Tiger Claws to the centre of the earth to prevent _anyone_ from using them. Though it had been a shame to lose such a useful Shen Gong Wu, the fact that the forces of darkness couldn't reach them either had been victory enough for the Xiaolin warriors. The Tiger Claws were, of course, now in Raimundo's – and Wuya's – possession, something they would have to bear in mind in the upcoming future.

"So ... what should we do now, Master Fung?" Clay asked.

"You must take all the Shen Gong Wu and leave the temple."

"_Again_?" said Kimiko.

"Yes, Kimiko, and you must leave at once. Wuya will most certainly come after them, or send some of her minions. This temple is no longer a safe place to keep the Shen Gong Wu, and we cannot allow her to have possession of all the Shen Gong Wu, because, as you know, there will be ten thousand years of darkness if she does."

"Okay," she said uncertainly, "but how long for?"

"For as long as it takes. Whatever happens, you must stay away from here at all costs."

"But ... will you be okay? What if Wuya shows up?"

"Do you not understand? That is precisely why you must leave. Do not worry about us. It is imperative that you leave here and never return."

"So ... we'll never see you again?"

Fung breathed out heavily, a deep sigh, and said thoughtfully, "Master Dashi went out in the world and trained hard, gaining experience and techniques from all over the world. You may only be Apprentices right now, but I believe now is the time for you to go out and do the same. I think you are ready to face the challenges of the outside world. You have all shown yourselves to be very resourceful in the face of danger, and I have no doubt in your abilities.

"All is not lost, young Dragons. As long as you keep the flame of hope lit brightly within your hearts, and continue to fight with determination and spirit, you will triumph in the end, I am sure of it."

Kimiko smiled slightly, feeling a little better – and maybe a little braver – after Fung's pep talk. Clay said, "So where should we start?"

"There are many warriors opposed to the forces of darkness. You should seek them out, if you can. And there are several temples, other than this one, which are better protected against dark magic."

"You can only be thinking of the eight elemental temples?"

"Indeed, Omi. If you can find the temple of your corresponding element, the guardians may allow you to train there, in light of the current situation. Dojo, do you know of their location?"

Dojo, who had been strangely quiet and withdrawn throughout the entire conversation, suddenly snapped back into life. "Huh? Oh, sorry. Elemental temples? I don't know where they are. Master Dashi trained at the temples before I met him. Um, SilverClaw would know, but I haven't seen her for centuries. We'll start by looking for her, I guess."

None of the three warriors had heard of anyone called SilverClaw before this, not even Omi, but before anyone could ask, Master Fung motioned for them to get moving.

And so, the next hour or so was spent preparing for their journey. Kimiko had packed most of her various gadgets, none of which were working at the moment (due to magical interference, Master Fung told her). Omi, used to living a simple lifestyle, had very few personal possessions, although he did have a picture of his parents, which he asked Kimiko to carry for him. Clay, rather unsurprisingly, elected to carry the food supplies along, as well as his belongings, which included his stash of Country music CDs (even though his portable CD player wasn't working either), his fishing rod, and five of his best looking ten-gallon cowboy hats (which all looked exactly the same to the outside observer).

When their bags were packed, the group headed towards the Shen Gong Wu vault and began collecting the Shen Gong Wu they had acquired, and bringing them to the top of the stairs.

"Let's see," said Omi when they had brought them all above; Kimiko had decided to write down a list of all the Shen Gong Wu they owned on a sheet of paper, while he and Clay placed them inside a large chest. "We have the Two Ton Tunic," he said, "the Shroud of Shadows –" (there was a pause as Kimiko wrote this down) "– the Longi Kite, Sword of the Storm, Monkey Staff, Helmet of Jong, Fist of Tebigong – "

"Hold on a sec," she said, scribbling furiously. "... Sword of the Storm ... Monkey Staff ... Helmet of Jong ... yeah, go on."

"Jet Bootsu, Sapphire Dragon – " (this was kept safely inside a smaller box) "– the Sun Chi Lantern ... Orb of Tornami, Heart of Jong, Tongue of Saiping ... Third-Arm Sash, Eye of Dashi, and ... the Star Hanabi."

"Eye of Dashi, Star Hanabi. Got it. Is that all of them?"

"Yup," said Clay, closing the chest. "How many's that?"

"Uh ... sixteen, in total."

"We must take care not to lose them," said Omi, frowning seriously. "We cannot afford to make any mistakes, especially where Wuya is concerned."

"We'll be okay," said Kimiko. "We've done this before when Mala Mala Jong attacked, remember? And we managed to beat Mala Mala Jong too. Master Fung's right – we can do this. We just have to have a little faith in ourselves, that's all."

"And a little patience, too," added Clay.

"Yeah. We'll just have to train hard at these temples, and then we'll kick Wuya's butt. I mean, Master Dashi managed it, and he was all by himself."

Omi nodded, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that this was all his fault. Still, they had a job to do, and standing there thinking about the past wasn't going to help anyone, least of all him. "Let us leave, my friends," he said with a sudden rush of determination. "We must observe the side of brightness, for we still have our Shen Gong Wu, and – "

"– 'Look on the bright side'," interrupted Kimiko. "It's 'look on the bright side'."

"Uh, correct. Anyway, we must not give up until Wuya is defeated!"

"Yeah!" cheered Clay and Kimiko.

Master Fung smiled and wished the dragons luck, as they cheered and prepared to leave. There was nothing more he or the other monks could do now but wait; but he somehow knew that the Xiaolin warriors would not let him – or, indeed the entire world – down. If they believed in themselves, there was nothing they couldn't achieve. They would succeed – not because they needed to, but because they _wanted_ to.

* * *

It was quite late in the afternoon, though if you were to look outside at the darkened sky, you wouldn't have been able to tell. Raimundo was using the Serpent's Tail to fly through walls, busy searching the palace for Wuya. Just after he'd stolen the Serpent's Tail and gone for a joy-ride through the skies, he'd taken the chance to use the Golden Tiger Claws and steal some breakfast from an unsuspecting café owner in France (which was why the Xiaolin warriors had been able to catch up to him). That had been earlier this morning, though, and he hadn't eaten anything since. Wuya had told him to take a look around while she performed a few other spells, but while he had been impressed with the sheer size of the place, he couldn't stop the rumbling in his stomach from distracting him.

He landed, walked out of a small room, through a doorway, across a stone bridge, and into a decorated hallway, silently gazing at the elaborate pictures, patterns and designs on the walls as he did so. Granted, they were mostly in blacks and greys, but, for some reason, he just couldn't help staring at these. They reminded him of a room he'd previously been to, so he decided to use the Golden Tiger Claws to teleport there.

He found Wuya in the middle of a large circular room, which had more of the weird designs on the walls, and two large iron doors leading out in opposite directions. However, there was a change from the last time he had been here: on the floor in the centre of the room was a large circle pattern, with several Chinese symbols dotted around the outside.

Several streaks of dark purple light flew around the room, moving like dancing comets in the wind. They converged into one at many points across the room, solidified and, before his eyes, turned into grotesque black monsters. Some had curved horns on their heads, some had bat-like wings; all had sharp teeth and claws.

"Go," Wuya commanded simply, and the monsters of darkness flew and ran through the walls as though they were all carrying Serpent's Tails. But Raimundo was too hungry to care about where the monsters were going.

"Hey, I've got a mega-sized bone to pick with you," he said, crossing his arms.

"Oh?" she said, raising an eyebrow in slight amusement.

He looked annoyed, and he flailed his arms about animatedly as he spoke. "I'm bored stiff! What do you do for fun around here? And I'm hungry, too. You said I could have whatever I wanted if I helped you out, but I haven't seen anything yet."

Wuya sighed, and then walked up to the nearest door. She traced an invisible symbol in the air in front of it, and recited something in Chinese. The huge door opened to reveal a large, luxurious and lavishly decorated room filled with brightly coloured furniture. There was, among other things, a brand new pool table; a long buffet table with delicious-looking cakes, sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and other foods; a crystalline chandelier hanging from the ceiling; an enormous, puffed up sofa; and outside, through see-through doors, there was a swimming pool filled with tempting, clear blue water.

"Ha-ha! Excelente!" exclaimed Raimundo, punching the air in a playful manner. He ran towards the table and looked very much like the proverbial kid in a candy store. He walked all the way around the long table, mouth wide open in anticipation as he decided what to eat first, while Wuya looked on, somewhat amused. Some people were so simple, and it required so little to please them. She turned to leave, but then he said (while munching on a chicken-leg), "Where do you think _you're_ going? You promised me the World Cup too!"

"Hmm..."

She walked over to a small coffee table beside the sofa, drawing some symbols over the top of it. Seconds later, the golden World Cup appeared on the table.

"Whoa," breathed Raimundo, forgetting about his hunger for the moment and also walking to the table. He stared at the trophy for several moments, simply transfixed by its... golden-ness. He could not believe he actually had the World Cup!

"Is it real?"

"What?"

Wuya appeared distracted and disinterested, not quite sure what the attraction was to what she thought was a boring game. Raimundo seemed to be a touch obsessive when it came to football – but then, a _lot_ a guys were, she reasoned. "What do you mean?"

"Is it real?" he repeated without taking his eyes off the object. "Or is it just something you conjured up?"

Wuya was suitably offended. "Of course it's real!" she huffed haughtily. "You told me you wanted the _original_ World Cup trophy that was in FIFA's possession, and not the replica. A simple teleportation spell allows me to transport any non-magical, inanimate object to wherever I want in this palace – as long as I know exactly what it looks like. You showed me a picture of it and even told me its specifications – 18-karat solid gold, 14 inches high, two-ringed malachite base. It's definitely the real one."

Still looking at his reflection in the trophy, Raimundo asked, "Could you teleport soccer players here?"

"It... is much more difficult to transport living creatures, especially those with high amounts of chi. Living beings have a will of their own and so, unlike inanimate objects, they can resist the magic, even if they possess no magical powers. But, there are _other_ ways..."

"Sweet..." He jumped into the sofa and slouched down into a comfortable position. "I could get used to this." He stared to fantasise about how great it would be to have his own football squad comprising of the world's greatest players.

Wuya turned away again, happy to leave the boy to his own devices – she had things to take of. But at that moment, she felt a strange force appear from far off – the unmistakable energy signature of a newly active Shen Gong Wu. Her eyes glowed an eerie yellow colour.

"Raimundo."

Raimundo, too busy thinking how cool it would be to have the likes of Ronaldinho, Zinédine Zidane and Raúl on his dream team, didn't notice anything.

"Raimundo!"

When she received no response, she bent down next to him and yelled right in his ear: "RAIMUNDO!"

He leapt ten feet into the air, and dangled from the chandelier in what, Wuya thought, was a comical rendition of Jack Spicer in full-on monkey-mode.

"Don't do that to me!" he yelled. He leapt down and landed gracefully on the ground. "What is it, anyway?"

"I'm sensing a new Shen Gong Wu – the Horn of Qilin."

"The Horn of Chee-lin? What's it do?"

"It's a cleansing Shen Gong Wu. It has a purifying effect."

"Purifying? So it works on – what – water?"

"Yes."

"Not really of much use to _you_, then," he remarked shrewdly. After some thought, he added, "Unless you used the Reversing Mirror, of course."

"Indeed. Anyway, let's get going."

"Hold on a sec. Did you say, 'Let's', as in 'let US?"

"Yes. You're coming too."

"What? But I'm starving! I just spent the whole afternoon looking for you! Gimme a break already!"

"Quit complaining!" she snapped back angrily. "The faster we get going, the faster we'll be back." Good help really _was_ hard to find. All Wuya wanted was a reliable, competent minion that obeyed her orders straight away without asking any questions. Was that too much to ask?

Apparently it was. "Whaddaya need _me_ for?" he persisted, looking a little annoyed himself. "I _did_ what you wanted – you're back to normal now. So you should just forget about me and go after all the Shen Gong Wu yourself."

"Look," she said slowly, and it was clear she was trying very hard to keep her temper under control, "I need you to come along for this particular Shen Gong Wu. It's all part of my plan."

Raimundo gave her an odd, confused look when she didn't elaborate further. She must have come up with a plan _really_ fast – but then she knew about the hidden effects of the Shen Gong Wu better than anyone else, except Dojo (and perhaps Master Fung). What was she planning to do with this Shen Gong Wu, then? Use it with the Reversing Mirror and darken the Earth's seas and oceans?

He stared at her intently, trying to figure out what she might be up to, but she frowned back at him impatiently, a dangerous scowl that caused him to quail slightly. Here was someone who had defeated his former friends with considerable ease; someone who could make buildings and monsters appear out of thin air, just like that. Who knew what else she was capable of? The last thing he wanted was to make her mad.

He relented. "Fine," he sighed, giving Wuya the Golden Tiger Claws, "but I'm taking one of those egg-and-bacon sandwiches, otherwise deal's off."

* * *

_**Qilin** – a Chinese mythical creature. It has a horse-like body, but it has a dragon's head. Most of them have a singular horn, but I've seen pictures of qilin with two and with four horns. It has a scaly body, and what looks like an ox's tail._

_**Americanisms: **I tend to mix up British and American terms, even though I'm British. Generally speaking, in narrative I'll use the British term but in dialogue I'll use the American one._

_sweet(s) – candy_

_In the narrative I used the American word for sweet. Go figure. But we do call candy "sweets" in the UK._

_mobile (phone) – cell phone_

_football – soccer_


	3. A New Puzzle

**Uploaded: 11th July 2004**

_Note: Thanks to PrincessViv for the translations in this chapter._**  
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**Chapter 3: A New Puzzle**

The young man tensed as he waited for his opponent to make the next move. The guy across from him was taking far too long for his liking. He studied his opponent carefully; a huge, burly man, with rows of stubble growing from his face, and brown, spiky hair that a hedgehog would have called home. Even the hair on his arms was spiked up, arranged in lines. The walking cactus, everyone called him. But not to his face.

"Hurry up, Uru. We don't have all day."

Spiky Uru snorted. "You seem a little eager to get creamed."

The other man – who was really no older than nineteen – flicked some of his own brown hair out of his eyes. "Just make your move."

Uru put his cards down.

"Double Black Jack ..." the black-haired man muttered. "Damn, that's harsh."

He picked up ten cards from the pile, and sorted out his cards accordingly.

_What to do, what to do ..._

His concentration was shattered as an orange pixie came shooting into the tent from behind him yelling, "The end of the world is upon us! It's the end of the world!"

"Keep it down, Dazzler. I'm tryin' to concentrate here."

A brown-haired, teenaged girl came running soon afterwards, trying frantically to catch the little creature with a net. She finally succeeded when the pixie smashed headfirst into a small wooden crate. The girl reached into the open crate with the net in one hand, and effortlessly pulled the screaming pixie out.

"She's been like that all night," the girl said to the black-haired man when she caught her breath. She leaned against the door of a lion cage, still holding the thrashing pixie inside the net. "But she got extra-flighty after what Raicho said earlier. Dunno what that bird said to her, but now she's super-spooked. It's been a nightmare keeping her from the public." She sighed. "Where've you been, Ricky? Didn't see you at all yesterday."

"They didn't need me yesterday. Anyway, _I_," he said dramatically, "was practising," he grinned, "for my _grand_ _finale_."

"_La __dee_ _da_," said Uru scornfully.

Ricky placed the Two of Clubs down, keeping the same cheeky grin on his face. "Pick up two, Uru."

"Hey, that's a kiddie's game," the girl said from behind him, grinning. "Why don't you guys play Poker with me instead? I'll make it worth your while ..."

"_Uru_ here doesn't know how to play. He's too _noble_ for gambling, apparently. And he's skint, anyway."

"Be quiet," Uru grunted as he slammed a card down hard on the wooden crate they were playing on. "It wasn't my fault I was tricked by that ridiculous Coyote. You need to pick up _four_, by the way."

"Dammit ..."

"It's the end! No hope in sight! Darkness for all!" yelled Dazzler, struggling to break free of the net.. It was a well-known fact among the present company that pixies were panicky, erratic creatures, even at the best of times. Everyone ignored her.

"Aargh!" she shrieked, her shrill little voice filling the air. "Has no-one but me noticed how dark it is outside? The sun's come up, but it's still as dark as night! Raicho says it's Wuya all over again ..."

"Oh please," the girl said derisively, sliding down into a sitting position against the metallic cage door. "Raicho thinks _everything's_ Wuya's fault. The Great Famine, the Black Death, the Great Depression ... I'm telling you, she's completely fixated. Went totally ballistic when she found out some punk kid opened Wuya's puzzle-box."

The girl casually twiddled a silver necklace around with her free hand. "Besides, it's probably just Thoth fiddling around with the moon again. Raicho told _me_ that someone's been spiking the Dwarves' sweet water supply, and Thoth's been stealing some water from them, so, of course, he's been affected too. And some goblins put sleep spells on Ma'at and SilverClaw, so it's been going on unchecked. I hear it's getting so out of hand that Long's getting involved now."

"Long?" said Uru, looking up from his game for a moment. "Must be serious if they called him."

"I don't believe a word of it," Ricky said bluntly. "Raicho's been jealous ever since she found out Akhlut got to keep SilverClaw's stuff. Now she'll say anything to get you to listen to _her_. Basic cry for attention. You're right about one thing though – she _is_ obsessed with that Wuya chick."

"Has every right to be-er," said the lion from its cage. "Befana think-er dark-er skies bad omen-er."

"Wait a minute," said Ricky, putting his card-hand face down on the crate, his expression completely serious. "Befana contacted you?"

"Yes-er. Middle of night-er. Say dark-er skies not localised, but world phenomena-er."

Everyone looked at the lion. If Raicho's rumours were true, then Long coming out of hiding was a newsflash in itself. But contact with Befana was virtually unheard of, especially in this current age. Befana was the kind of person who wouldn't speak to you if it wasn't worth her time. She was the information centre of the magical world, the first place anyone called if they had any news, so she couldn't afford to waste time with small talk. If _she_ thought things were bad, then things were _really_ bad.

"_Why_ didn't you tell us this sooner?" Ricky wanted to know.

"She say not tell you-er. Not know why sky dark-er yet-er. Not want you worry unnecessarily-er."

For a few moments, there was silence.

"End of the world! End of the world!" Dazzler the pixie screeched.

* * *

Dojo flew high above the mountain ranges. Even though the skies were overcast, it was an area he knew well; he'd flown there with Master Dashi many times before, and he remembered it as though he'd been there yesterday. He circled a few times before descending, and took them down to a cave that would serve as a good rest stop. In all honesty, Dojo wasn't sure if they'd be safe making a pit stop here; it was possible that Wuya might have been able to track their Shen Gong Wu just like he'd been able to find the Serpent's Tail. Still, it was a better idea than staying at the temple; he wanted to delay going to their destination, really; and they were only stopping to get a bite to eat.

The Xiaolin warriors sat round in a semi-circle, with their bags and belongings beside them. They were in a lively, talkative mood now, which was quite the opposite of the depressing, quiet mood they had been in when they were returning to the temple. They spoke energetically as they ate; Omi was so excited at the prospect of learning new fighting techniques that he had decided to give the other two a lengthy speech on the eight temples.

Clay noted Kimiko's abrupt mood changes: after being super angry with Raimundo, Kimiko had changed from being depressed, to excited like Omi, and was now in a frustrated mood again. She had hurriedly eaten a bowl of rice and she was now trying to get her objects to work. In Omi's opinion, she had always been a little too dependent on present-day technology, but Clay suspected that she was still upset with Raimundo, and was just taking her anger out on her possessions. He admitted to himself that he'd felt pretty angry with Raimundo himself, but now they had to focus on the job at hand, and so he'd returned to his usual placid self. Clay had long ago given up trying to talk sense into Kimiko, because he felt that she would reach the same conclusion in her own time. (Truthfully, Clay was just happy to get some food into his stomach.)

In fact, Dojo could see a change in _all_ of them; they'd been completely drained of their positive emotions, but then they'd been filled with new hope after they'd left the temple, and now they were bouncy, brimming with energy as if they'd been recharged and reenergized. Overall, the three of them were remarkably chatty, thrilled with the prospect of new adventure that lied ahead.

Unfortunately, Dojo couldn't bring himself to feel the same way. He really was trying to share the humans' enthusiasm, but the truth was, he was dreading their arrival at their destination. He'd always avoided travelling to this spot if he could help it. Deep down, he'd always believed that he lacked courage, and he felt that he could never return there, not after what he'd done. None of the humans had asked him where he was taking them yet, and that was fine by him. He didn't even want to _think_ about where they were going. In fact, he was actually wondering whether he should take them somewhere else. And yet ...

He had to take the Chosen Ones somewhere safe. That was his responsibility. And, ironically, the one place he swore he'd never return to, was the one place he knew they'd definitely be safe from Wuya. If he didn't take the Chosen Ones there, he'd be letting everyone down – again – and he wasn't sure he could do that ...

Dojo hoped the humans couldn't see his face, because he was looking exceptionally nervous.

It was Clay who said, "Hey, Dojo, what's up? You look more anxious than a cat at a dog pound."

"Oh, er... nothing," he said quickly, putting on an affected smile. "I'm just a little worried, that's all. And would you stop banging that PDA thingy? If Master Fung says it won't work, then it won't work."

"Stupid Wuya," Kimiko grumbled to herself. She resigned herself to fiddle around with her mobile instead.

"Dojo, I have been meaning to ask – who is SilverClaw?" Omi said, eating some noodles from a Thermos flask. "I have never heard of her."

"Oh, _her_," Dojo said dismissively, his entire demeanour changing completely as he forgot about his worries and joined the conversation. "She's a friend of my dad's. They _say_ she's one of the best mapmakers in the world, and one of Master Dashi's closest allies. She met him before I did. She always did do her best to shove that fact in my face ... "

"Heh, heh, heh." Clay chuckled as he finished his pork chops. "Looks like Dojo's got a case of the green-eyed monster."

"I do _not_!" said the dragon stubbornly. "She's just a stupid stuck-up know-it-all who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut! She's so highly over-rated, just 'cause she made that map of hers and helped Dashi against Wuya and –"

He stopped when he saw three incredulous faces staring at him. "What? I'm not jealous!"

"Yeah, right," said Kimiko cynically, smashing the buttons on her Game Pal with her fist.

"So how exactly _did_ Master Dashi beat Wuya, anyway?" Clay asked, tactfully changing the subject, although he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Dojo hesitated slightly. "Hmm ... I wasn't at the final battle. But I heard it was one _mean_ fight. In the end, Dashi used that puzzle-box to seal Wuya away."

"Dojo, we _knew_ all that already," said Kimiko shortly, just about ready to chuck her laptop through the cave's entrance and over the cliff. It was a long way down to the ground.

"Yeah, I know, but the puzzle-box was – is – a Shen Gong Wu as well. It was one of the very last ones forged. I can't remember what it's called, though."

"We must find it," Omi declared, as Clay stood up and took the Shen Gong Wu scroll out of the large chest. "The puzzle-box must be the key to defeating Wuya."

"And just how do you propose we find it, Omi?" Kimiko sighed, her full attention finally on the conversation too, now that she'd run out of gadgets to silently curse at. "It's obviously not become active, otherwise we would have known about it before now."

"Jack Spicer," Clay said simply, watching as the scroll changed pictures magically to find the Shen Gong Wu he wanted information on. "He was the one that released her. I bet you he's still got it."

"I don't know ..." said Dojo doubtfully. "What if he threw it away, not realising how important it was? And we can't exactly go up to him and ask ..."

"I reckon he'd probably keep it," said Clay. "Wuya might have mentioned something about it to him already. Here it is ... 'The Puzzle of Gui Xian'. Ain't active yet. Says here, 'traps an enemy within' – but ... it can only be used straight after a Xiaolin Showdown, on somebody who's lost that showdown."

"Oh great," Kimiko frowned, the sarcasm practically _pouring_ out of her voice. "That means we'll have to beat Wuya in a showdown first. That's not gonna be easy."

"But," said Omi thoughtfully, "if Jack has the Puzzle, would he choose to use it on Wuya if he won a showdown against her?"

"He might, if _you_ ask nicely, Kim," Dojo teased slyly. "He seems to _like_ you ... Maybe you should promise to go on a date with him in return for the Puzzle."

"Eugh! No way!"

She continued to talk, over the others' amused chuckles. "_Anyway_, Jack left Wuya, didn't he? He might decide to help us with no strings attached, if it'll help _his_ chances of ruling the world. I'm not being funny, but I'd rather fight a pack of robots than an evil witch any day."

"Wuya will most probably try and recruit him again, though," Dojo countered. "Or she might try and steal his Shen Gong Wu. Either way, she'll get the box before us if we don't do something."

"So ... what should we do?" Omi wondered. "We cannot let Wuya gain possession of the Puzzle of Gui Xian. And if Jack already knows of its effects, I highly doubt he will just give it to us."

"We're gonna have to take a trip to Jack's house," said Kimiko, "and just take it from him, then."

"_Steal_ a Shen Gong Wu?" Omi frowned. "But we would be bending down to his plane."

"Hey, what goes round comes round, Omi," Kimiko said, not even trying to fix his incorrect phrasing. "Anyway, it's only one."

"I ... am not happy," he said rather reluctantly, "but ... if it is for the greater good, then I will go along with it."

"Uh oh," Dojo said suddenly, his body shaking violently.

"What's wrong, Dojo?"

"I'm sensing a Shen Gong Wu..."

"The Horn of Qilin," Clay said, reading the scroll. The group gathered round to look at a picture that showed a man dipping a stag-like horn into dark, murky waters, which became clean and clear. "Looks like it purifies water."

"What great timing," Kimiko remarked sarcastically.

"Actually, it _is_ good timing," Dojo said seriously. "If Jack's out to get the Horn of Qilin, it'll be easier for one of you to steal the Puzzle. The Horn's in ... that direction." He pointed outside the cave. "And if I remember correctly, Jack's house is in that direction too."

"I will retrieve the Horn of Qilin," said Omi with determination. "One of you must stay with the Shen Gong Wu chest at all times. The other must go after the Puzzle of Gui Xian."

"I dunno, partner," said Clay doubtfully. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea for us to split up."

"I must go alone," Omi insisted. "There is something I must do." There _was_ something he felt he had to do, something that had been nagging him all day, and he felt that he would not be able to rest until he had done it.

"Omi ..." said Kimiko, shaking her head worriedly. "You can't face Wuya all by yourself."

"She's right, Omi," Dojo agreed. "Wuya's not like Jack – she won't fool around."

"And neither will I. I do not intend to fight her. I will merely go to retrieve the Horn. I will return straight afterwards."

Kimiko bent down and held him close, as if he were something fragile and precious. "Be careful, Omi."

He smiled gently. "I will."

"Right," she said with a little more confidence, "let's get going. We're going to have to hurry if we want to beat them to the Horn."

* * *

Technically, the Golden Tiger Claws _should _have given a person an unfair advantage when it came to finding Shen Gong Wu, but that was only if you knew where you were going beforehand. Wuya could sense the direction of a Shen Gong Wu's location, as well as its relative distance. But, like Dojo, she didn't know exactly _where_ it would be until she actually got there. So, in order to find the Horn of Qilin, she and Raimundo had needed to travel to its position on top of one of her conjured monsters (or Huai-Ren, as she called them). Well, at least they'd be able to use the Claws to escape easily.

They had arrived at a cave that was, somehow, darker than it was outside. There was a chilly breeze, too, so Wuya had motioned for Raimundo and the dragon-like Huai-Ren to quickly follow her inside. She made a small _huo_ (fire) symbol appear in her hand. A little bubble of fire sprang into the palm of her hand, which helped light the way, and despite being tiny, the ball of fire was more than enough to keep the three of them warm, too.

They walked through the caves with leisurely purpose; Wuya was in the lead, with the Golden Tiger Claws; Raimundo was munching his sandwich, in the middle (with the Serpent's Tail in one hand, and the Lotus Twister dangling out slightly, in his pocket); and the larger Huai-Ren held the Reversing Mirror with two talons in a gnarled, clawed hand, obediently following behind like a lost puppy. Every now and again, Raimundo would make the odd joke about their surroundings, and Wuya would give her obligatory snappish replies. The black Huai-Ren, invisible in total darkness, said nothing at all, but its silver talons made a clinking noise on the rocky floor as it walked behind them.

For the first time since he'd left the Xiaolin temple for good, Raimundo was beginning to have serious doubts. He wasn't sure what Wuya wanted from him, or whether she'd even leave him alone after this Shen Gong Wu. He was just so fed up of taking orders from someone else, fed up of working tirelessly hard and not being appreciated for it. There was no way he was going to return to the Xiaolin temple now ... and it wasn't as if he'd actually wanted to go train there in the first place. _He'd_ wanted to stay in Brazil, but his parents had decided that the training would do him good. Well, so much for that idea...

On the other hand, his parents had been so _proud_ when they had found out he was chosen to become Dragon of the Wind. _Humph_. Sentiments he hadn't exactly shared, at first. But he'd certainly wanted to show the world – and his family – what he was capable of, which was why he _had_ changed his mind and joined the temple. (It was also why he had been so showy against Tubbimura.) He thought back to his time at the temple.

He'd never really liked Omi, and Clay and Kimiko always stuck up for him. Kimiko was the person he had got on with the most, however, even if he had had to endure the odd punch from her now and again. He winced slightly when he remembered how furious she had looked back when the three of them had tried to fight Wuya. He hadn't meant to make her that upset ...

On second thoughts – yes he had. He'd wanted to make _all_ of them angry, but he'd only succeeded in making the one person he actually got on with really mad. Clay had stayed calm (_Big surprise there,_ he thought), and, before fighting Wuya, Omi had just ... stood there, utter disbelief on his face. Raimundo, really, had done all this because he had wanted to make them feel the same way he did – angry.

He was angry with Master Fung for so many reasons that he couldn't even think of them all; he was angry with his parents for sending him to the Xiaolin temple when originally he hadn't even wanted to go; he was angry with Omi for his know-it-all attitude, angry with Clay for always sticking up for Omi, angry with Kimiko for being angry with _him_; he was angry with his older brother for –

_WHUMP!_

Raimundo had been so engrossed in his confused and bitter thoughts that he hadn't seen Wuya stop suddenly in front of him; she was a bit taller than him, so he'd unwittingly collided into the witch's back.

"A warning would've been nice," Raimundo's muffled voice said, from inside a mop of purple hair.

"Get off me, you fool!" she hissed in a hushed voice. She gave him a rough push. "You should have been paying attention, not daydreaming one of your idiotic fantasies!"

Raimundo ignored this. "Why'd you stop?"

"It's Omi," she replied in a relatively calmer tone. "I can sense him." The Huai-Ren growled in assent.

"What? Omi's here?"

"Yes, but..."

Wuya's eyes narrowed in concentration. The Horn of Qilin was nearby; she could feel it as a kind of tugging, a gentle but persistent pulling, urging her to get closer. She opened her senses, trying to search for specific chi signatures, but she could only sense a Water elemental. There _was_ something else, a presence that felt familiar, and yet she couldn't quite identify it; but it wasn't aligned with either Fire or Earth, so she disregarded it. Where were the other two Chosen Ones?

Raimundo folded his arms in frustration, remembering that he was angry with Wuya, too, for putting him in this position in the first place.

_Aargh! Could she be any more annoying? Why can't she just **tell** me what she's up to?_

"But ...?" he prompted hopefully.

_They're not here,_ she thought, frowning.

"Well? Where are the others?"

"Omi is here alone," she said quietly. "How foolish ..."

She resumed walking, and, after a tiny pause, Raimundo went after her.

Raimundo hadn't even noticed that Wuya had no longer been using the fire to light the way, but now he could see quite far in front of him. The light originated from an unknown source, coming from a large opening ahead. It was warmer here, and they walked through, finding a huge cavern which had trees and plants growing everywhere. It was a living, breathing forest, growing underground. He had no idea how the plants had managed to survive here for all this time, but he couldn't see the other end of this part of the cavern. A small, trickling stream flowed from left to right.

"Omi's over there," Wuya said, pointing to their left. Raimundo looked in that direction, and saw another opening, similar to the one they'd just come through, but a lot smaller. It was directly to their left.

"Raimundo," she said, "keep him busy. I don't care what it takes, but make sure he doesn't follow."

"Yeah, sure thing," he responded, somewhat wearily. He just wanted to get back to that nice room in the palace, really, with all the food, luxury and comfort. That would make him forget about his worries. The sooner they got this over with, the better.

"Come," Wuya said to the Huai-Ren, who followed wordlessly.

_Good riddance_, Raimundo thought as the creature strode past. Those things gave him the heebie-jeebies – and they were supposed to be on the same side. He watched them both disappear through some bushes, wondering if Wuya had always been able to sense their whereabouts like this.

"Raimundo ..."

He turned around to his left, and saw Omi staring back at him. Dojo was coiled around his shoulders, and he was holding the Monkey Staff. He was also wearing the Two Ton Tunic, though it wasn't activated.

"You're gonna have get past _me_ if you wanna get to the Horn of Qilin," Raimundo told him, smiling with a hint of arrogance.

Omi sighed slowly and deeply, and then bowed. "I am sorry."

He had been expecting an angry tirade from the shorter boy, expecting Omi to attack full on, both verbally and physically, but, funnily enough, these three tiny words were all it took to throw Raimundo completely off balance.

"You ... what?"

"I did not mean to cause the discord between us. I should have been more considerate towards your feelings ..."

Raimundo stared into Omi's eyes, but there was nothing there but pure sincerity. Omi wasn't the type of person who would lie about his feelings, anyway. Raimundo looked away angrily, his feelings somewhat torn between what he wanted to do, and what he knew he _should_ do.

_Why does he have to make this so difficult?_

"Why are you doing this, Raimundo?" Omi asked after a small pause. "If it is because of the way I have treated you, then I apologise. I ... admit that I am quick to find faults, but that is because I want people to be the best they can be."

Raimundo faced him again, wondering how in the world Omi could think this was all his fault. "You think this is all about you? Well, you're wrong!"

"What do you mean?"

There was another pause, and then he said quietly: "It's me. I _want_ to do this. I'm fed up, Omi. I'm tired of being pushed around, working hard day and night and not getting any acknowledgement for it."

"I do not wish to fight you ..."

"Then don't," Raimundo said, leaning back against a tree and shrugging. "Wuya'll get the Horn. We win."

"I _will_, however, do my duty." Omi brandished the Monkey Staff, twirling it around in an unmistakable display of attack.

Aha. This was better. It was much easier to just be angry and attack than to think things through and be confused. Raimundo also flaunted the Serpent's Tail in the best way he could, bracing himself for a fight.

"Bring it on, short stuff."

* * *

_Wuya said she could sense the Xiaolin warriors in "Ring of the Nine Dragons," so that's where I got it from. Chinese translation time ..._

_**huo** – fire; flame_

_**huai** – evil, bad; ruin_

_**ren** – person; one_

_In this fic, Huai-Ren translates as evil one._

_**Tiny note on translations:** I'm not a native speaker of Mandarin. The Chinese words in this chapter were given to me by PrincessViv, whose parents speak Mandarin. In chapter 1, and in later chapters, I looked a lot of the words up in an English/Chinese dictionary because I didn't want to keep hassling her for translations. Feel free to correct me if you think I'm butchering the language with translation/pronunciation/meaning mistakes. Flames won't be tolerated, though._


	4. Frozen Water

**Uploaded: 24th July 2004**

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**Chapter 4: Frozen Water**

Jack Spicer trundled through the large caverns, tentatively clutching his black torch in his right hand, and his beeping Shen-Gong-Wu-tracking detecto-bot in the other. He had a group of his flying robots with him, which had their chest compartments wide open with large bright flashlights, making his own little torch seem a bit redundant. Still, you could never be too careful. That's why he was wearing one of his newest devices on his chest, just waiting to be used – he'd come extra prepared, this time, and he would be ready for the Xiaolin warriors when they came. _And_ Wuya and Raimundo too. Heck, he could take on the whole world if he wanted once he got the Shen Gong Wu – if only it wasn't so dark in here ...

Jack jumped, suddenly. He looked around in a panicked fashion. "Erm ... Did you hear anything?"

**"No, sir,"** replied one robot.

"Good," he said, trying to sound brave, but looking nervous. "I was, er, testing you. There's no-one else here."

If the robots had been programmed to be able to sigh, they would have. They might even have asked why humans were so irrationally fearful of the dark, too. That had been the third time he'd done that now ...

A light shone brightly from somewhere up ahead, and Jack continued walking in that direction, coming to a T-junction. The light came from the right, and he turned in this direction. Here, thankfully for Jack, there was enough light to see without the torch or the flashlights, so he ordered his robots to turn off their lights, and he pocketed his torch inside a mechanical compartment, ready to be used if he needed it again.

Five minutes later, he came to another T-junction, with a stream that ran from right to left. Jack turned left this time, following the flow of the river. Continuing on for another five minutes, he could see a forest a short way downstream. The detecto-bot's beeps steadily became more frequent, until the beeping was almost continuous, and, looking up, Jack saw why. There, in the middle of the river, standing upright, was a brightly glowing stag-like horn. The Horn of Qilin.

The water flowed over it, so that one third of it was underwater. It was rather odd, really, the way it was sticking out of the water seemingly without any help. It was also odd that the trees of the forest started growing in a line only _after_ where the Horn was in the river. Any land upstream from the Horn was just barren rock.

Jack turned on his helicopter blades, and flew over to where the Horn stood in the water. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there was actually a rock under the water, and the Horn was embedded in this rock. He grabbed the Horn with both hands and pulled it out with relative ease, and he landed with it on the opposite bank of the river, just where the trees had begun to grow.

"All right!" he cheered, holding up the Horn dramatically, congratulating himself on a job well done, even though he hadn't actually done anything really worthwhile yet. "The Horn of Qilin is mine! Too bad no-one's around to see it ..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, if I were you ..."

"Huh?"

Jack turned his head around just in time to see someone behind him, before being hit by a huge black ball, knocked against a tree, and falling to the ground.

And then there was blackness.

* * *

Omi went forward with a flying kick. Raimundo jumped to move out of the way, so that Omi went underneath him, and tried a whirling kick to counter – but Omi did an acrobatic flip in mid-air and avoided the strike. Still in mid-air, Omi used the Monkey Staff with his Water element to shoot a sparkling blue ice beam, which Raimundo dodged with a speedy roll to the side. As Omi landed, Raimundo used the Serpent's Tail to blow a fierce gust of swirling wind, but the little monk simply activated the Two Ton Tunic. Raimundo quickly used the Lotus Twister to stretch his arms and try and trip Omi up, but, with lightning fast reflexes, Omi deactivated the Tunic, leapt over Raimundo's swipe and landed a swift kick in the other boy's chin. The taller boy was sent flying, and he was knocked to the ground, the Serpent's Tail dropping out of his hand.

"Are you finished?" Omi asked quietly. He really had not wanted to do that, but Raimundo was leaving him with very little recourse.

"I'm just gettin' started," said the other boy, wiping the blood and dirt from the side of his mouth.

* * *

Clay sat calmly and patiently against the outside wall of Jack's house. Kimiko had gone inside the house with the Jet Bootsu and the Shroud of Shadows, leaving him behind with the Shen Gong Wu chest. He still wasn't sure that they should have split up like this, but they couldn't risk losing the Shen Gong Wu they owned in the chest, so someone had to stay with it at all times, like Omi had said.

He had to admit to himself that he was a little worried, but all he could do now was wait for Kimiko and Omi to return. No point in being too preoccupied. He had to have faith in his friends and know that they would return successfully. A little patience never hurt anyone. And being patient was Clay's specialty. The waiting game was one he definitely knew how to play.

Something beside him growled menacingly.

* * *

_Really, _thought Wuya, watching Jack lying on the ground. _That was simply **too** easy. _When he didn't get up straight away, she frowned. She hadn't meant for her attack to be that strong ...

She took the Horn of Qilin from his hand, and Jack's robots, which had been waiting on the other side of the stream, all of which flew across and surrounded her. Wuya was about to use the Golden Tiger Claws to return to where she'd left her Huai-Ren, when one of the robots emitted a small green beam that completely covered her.

**"Initiating identification scan."**

"What are you doing?" she demanded, blinking in the green light. These metallic contraptions were annoying at best, and if they didn't stop doing whatever it was they were doing – NOW – they would soon be a pile of scrap metal on the floor.

**"Scan complete. Subject identification confirmed as: Wuya."**

Now _this_ was interesting. Jack's robots still recognised her, even though she was no longer a ghost. They had been programmed to ignore her, a program which was a remnant of the time when she and Jack had still been allies; and now, unless Jack gave the order, they wouldn't attack. But Spicer was unconscious, lying helpless on the ground. That meant she could do anything she wanted to him, and the robots would not try to stop her until it was too late.

She stared down at him thoughtfully. He was completely at her mercy. What should she do with him? He was nothing more than a child, really. Killing him would probably be a bit extreme. The boy was nothing if not resourceful. Without the aid of magic, he had given himself the ability to fly, constructed his own army, built a shape-shifter, and even had a machine that could detect the magical energy of a Shen Gong Wu.

If only he wasn't such a bull-headed bungler! She might have considered taking him back. But unlike Raimundo, he possessed no element, and thus she had no further use for him, other than perhaps to impede the progress of the other Chosen Ones. He was very unlikely to work for her willingly now, anyway, even if she _wanted_ to tempt him back. He was too independent, too proud to accept assistance from others. Plus, there was the fact that they just irritated each other too much.

She wondered whether she should capture him and take him back to her palace. Jack might actually become more of a nuisance if left unchecked. But then, he had been the one to open the Puzzle of Gui Xian and released her in the first place, so she supposed she _should_ have been grateful ...

For that reason alone, she would let the boy be. Knowing Jack, he would probably try to take the Horn back if he knew it was still around – especially since he didn't yet know she had been restored. And if Jack did manage to reclaim the Horn, she would allow him to use it. She hadn't brought the Reversing Mirror along for nothing.

* * *

Even when he wasn't using the Monkey Staff, Omi was a formidable fighter, and after reclaiming the Serpent's Tail, Raimundo had been forced to use it to become see-through, to prevent Omi from actually landing a hit. The Lotus Twister hadn't worked, because Omi was too fast to be caught by wandering limbs, and every time he used his wind element against him, Omi would just activate the Two Ton Tunic to stay in the same spot.

Dojo had tried to hold on as Omi and Raimundo started exchanged blows, but it had become too difficult, especially once Raimundo had started using the Serpent's Tail to blow gusts of wind at the two of them. The little dragon had let go of Omi's shoulders, finding himself between wind and water – both figuratively and literally – and had slithered into a tree where he could watch from a safe distance. Once or twice, he wondered whether he should risk growing to his larger size to help Omi out, but that might have attracted Wuya's attention, which was never a good thing to do if you wanted to live to see another day.

"We don't have time for this, Omi!" he called after a couple of minutes, when there was a lull in the fighting. "Wuya must be here somewhere, getting the Horn. And it's close – I can feel it."

"Oh ..." the little monk sighed. "If only the others were here..."

"Where _are_ the others, Omi?" Raimundo jeered nastily. "Tired of your boring, repetitive lecturing?"

"None of your busy-ness, Raimundo!" Omi then looked at him sharply. "Do you really think Wuya will keep you now that she has her body back? She will only keep you for as long as she needs you, and then she will discard you! Do you not remember how she treated Jack?"

"Hey, we're cool," Raimundo said nonchalantly. "I'm living it up at Wuya's palace. And you know what? You don't even know _half_ of what she can do, so if I were you, I'd quit while I was ahead."

"I would _never_ quit! I am most unlike you, who prefers being idle to doing some hard work!"

Raimundo glared at him, a heated fury burning in his eyes. "You know, all my life I've had to listen to people tell me how useless I am, how I'll always be second best, and how I'll never amount to anything. The last thing I needed was to hear it from some stuck-up, know-it-all monk! Well, now I'll show you!"

Omi stood his ground boldly, frowning as Raimundo charged ...

* * *

The first thing Kimiko noticed when she floated over the walls was – Jack's robots were working perfectly. _Jerk_, she thought immediately. _How come **his** stuff works and not mine?_ The next thing she noticed was that the lights inside the house were on too. _Odd_ ..._ their electricity seems to be working fine ..._

The Shroud of Shadows and the Jet Bootsu made an excellent combination for a potential thief; they allowed her to sneak easily past the robot guards and enter the house through a window completely undetected. She continued on without fear or hesitation; she'd been to Jack's lab twice before already, and knew exactly where she was going.

So when she heard the sudden crashes from a room nearby, she stopped immediately in her tracks. That hadn't sounded like normal 'house' noises ... but then again, this _was_ Jack's house.

There were two loud, frightened screams, and then several more smashes and crashes – windows and vases – laser fire – glass had been broken – it sounded like some of Jack's robots were getting trashed – furniture overturned – a strange _tíng_ sound, like a drinking glass had been tapped with a knife ...

And then silence.

Kimiko waited.

Her curiosity mixed together with her confusion, and, remembering that she still had the Shroud of Shadows, she changed direction and headed down the corridor for the source of all the commotion.

As expected, the room was a mess. Chairs and tables were upside down, the windows were broken, there was broken glass and debris from robots everywhere, wooden cabinets on their sides, a red sofa with a large ragged laceration across it ...

In the middle of the room were two people as red-haired as Jack, who Kimiko could only guess were Jack's parents. But neither of them were moving. Both were standing as still as statues, with open mouths and frightened eyes looking up in fear, but they were stuck in the same position, as if they'd been frozen in time. They may well have been wax statues in a museum to a casual observer.

What had happened to them?

A small white kitten came from under an overturned table. Kimiko was reminded of Katnappe, but the kitten walked past right her. It was clumsy in its movements, looking like it had had one drink too many. Suddenly, though, it hissed, and then half-ran, half-stumbled away, out of the room.

_Click, clink, click, clink, click ..._

Kimiko's first thought was that a dog had decided to capitalise on the fact that there were kittens here, but when she looked behind her to see, she was horrified to realise just how wrong she'd been.

A black, horned – monster – stood seven feet high, on two legs, and had seemingly appeared from nowhere. There was only one entrance to the room ...

And there were, in fact, two of them. They both took slow, deliberate steps, making those eerie clicking noises on the ground as they did so. They looked as though they were hunting something ...

Kimiko watched them closely; one of them would have looked like a dark, feathered dinosaur, were it not for the fact that it had bat-like wings. The other one looked like a mad scientist's experiment gone wrong; it had a crocodile's head, a fat elephant's body, two scythe-like claws for arms, a horse's tail, and dragon's feet. The dinosaur-like one continued to step forwards, while the other one hung back, and Kimiko realised that if she didn't move, she was going to get flattened, so, without saying anything, she used the Jet Bootsu to levitate herself higher.

The creatures' heads moved up simultaneously as she did so, following her movements upwards. They both stared straight at her. The winged one hissed menacingly, stretching its arms and flexing its wings, and she realised with a sickening feeling in her stomach: _they can see me_. The creature flew up towards her, charging as it swiped a huge hand, but Kimiko was too fast, and she swooped underneath it, darting through the door out of the room.

* * *

Raimundo ran towards Omi angrily, but Omi had fully activated the Monkey Staff now, and, as a monkey, was able to leap out of the way easily. Raimundo knew that his job was to stall Omi, and that's why Wuya had brought him along, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to actually _beat_ Omi, to prove to him that he wasn't just a lazy layabout and that he was just as good at fighting as he was. But that itself was proving to be difficult. As each second passed, Raimundo became more and more frustrated at Omi's evasive skills, so much so that he actually kept making mistakes – which of course led to further frustration.

Just like earlier that morning, Omi eventually managed to knock the Serpent's Tail out of Raimundo's hand. He followed up by knocking him down to the ground with a swift sweeping kick. Raimundo stayed on the floor, but refused to give up.

"If you think I'm gonna come crawling back to your stupid temple, think again."

Omi shook his head sadly. "I did not come here to argue with you. If you want to work for Wuya, that is your choice. But –"

A throbbing _tíng!_ sound filled the air, cutting Omi's words off; it sounded as if someone had struck a loud tuning fork. From the ground, Raimundo watched in bewilderment as Omi was immediately surrounded by a white light, and then simply _froze_ in place.

From his hidden spot in the tree, Dojo shivered. With a sinister chuckle, Wuya appeared from the trees upstream, on the same side of the small river as where the two boys had been fighting. She was riding what Dojo recognised as a dragon-like Huai-Ren, which landed near where Raimundo was lying on the ground. In one of its hands was the Reversing Mirror; in the other was a glowing white stag-like horn, roughly twenty centimetres long, and with four prongs – the Horn of Qilin.

For a while, Raimundo seemed to have forgotten how to speak. "What ... did you do to him?"

"Huai-Ren have the ability to unleash a powerful Stop spell upon my enemies," Wuya said, looking quite like the cat that had eaten the canary. She gracefully jumped off the Huai-Ren.

"I didn't need _your_ help to beat him, y'know," Raimundo said resentfully, getting up.

"Don't flatter yourself, _boy_. I didn't do that for your benefit. My original intention was to capture all three of the Chosen Ones while you distracted them, but only Omi came ..."

She walked to the statue-like Omi, who was still holding the Monkey Staff. As the Stop spell only affected _living_ things, and as the Two Ton Tunic fit loosely around Omi, she was able to remove the Two Ton Tunic with a wave of her hand, using a Removal spell to make the Tunic appear in her hands. Omi had the Monkey Staff firmly gripped in his hand, though, so she would have to wait until they reached the safety of her palace before removing the Stop spell. It _was_ a shame that only one of the Xiaolin warriors had decided to come, but it couldn't be helped – and it _had_ made it easier for her to capture him.

She put the Two Ton Tunic on over the top of her purple dress, and took the Horn of Qilin from the Huai-Ren. The dragon picked Omi up, Monkey Staff and all, in its now free hand, holding him as if he were a small doll.

Raimundo frowned slightly; he wasn't exactly Omi's best friend right now, but, all the same, he couldn't help wondering what Wuya was going to do to him. Nothing good, that was for sure.

Wuya, meanwhile, paused to think again, contemplating on whether Jack would come to try to get her back for the little stunt she had pulled. Actually, he probably _would_, if he knew it was her; but her blast must have been more powerful than she'd thought. Either that, or Jack was just weak.

"What's wrong _now_?" Raimundo asked, now wondering how Jack ever managed to put up with her.

"Nothing," she replied, coming out of her thoughts. "Let's get out of here.

* * *

_**Chinese translations**_

_**ting **__– stop_

_Once again – thank you, Princess Viv, for this one._

_**Mythical creatures**_

_I noticed that I made a lot of references to some mythical people/creatures in the previous chapter ..._

_**Raicho:** the Japanese version of the thunderbird._

_**Coyote:** a trickster figure that appears in many Native American tales._

_**Thoth:** Egyptian moon god of magic and wisdom. He's sometimes shown as a human with an ibis head._

_**Ma'at:** Egyptian goddess of justice and truth, she's portrayed as a woman that's always wearing a feather in her hair. Thoth's wife._

_**Akhlut: **In Inuit mythology, a shape-changing creature that takes both the form of a killer whale and a wolf._

_**Gui Xian:** the tortoise. One of four magical beings in Chinese myth, he represents the northern point of the compass. Sometimes seen with a snake._

_**Long:** the Chinese word for dragon. Also spelled __lung. The dragon Long is also one of the four magical creatures, and stands for the eastern point._

_**La Befana:** an Italian mythical figure. She's like the female version of Santa Claus._

_**Showdown info**_

_There is a showdown in the next chapter, so for anyone unsure of who has what, here's a list of the Shen Gong Wu that everyone has at the end of the first series - going by season 1 canon, of course. Season 2 cacks things up when it comes to SGW ..._

_**Xiaolin:** Sapphire Dragon, Sword of the Storm, Star Hanabi, Monkey Staff, Sun Chi Lantern, Orb of Tornami, Longi Kite, Tongue of Saiping, Two Ton Tunic, Eye of Dashi, Third-Arm Sash, Fist of Tebigong, Helmet of Jong, Shroud of Shadows, Jet Bootsu, Heart of Jong. (16)_

_**Heylin: **Golden Tiger Claws, Serpent's Tail, Lotus Twister, Reversing Mirror. (4)_

_**Jack:** Changing Chopsticks, Tangle-Web Comb, Ring of the Nine Dragons, Mantis Flip Coin, Falcon's Eye. (5)_

_In addition, in this fic, Jack also has the Puzzle of Gui Xian._


	5. Science and Sorcery

**Uploaded: 27th July 2004**

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* * *

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**Chapter 5: Science and Sorcery**

Weird Street was one of those shady little alleys you prayed you never found yourself in, especially after dark, because there was always the chance that Reason would be mugged by Insanity, leaving a body of Confusion lying in a crumpled heap on the floor. Jack was certainly finding himself cornered in Weird Street. Not only was he feeling groggy and disoriented, but he'd also just lost the Horn of Qilin to some freaky purple-haired woman who had appeared out of the blue and shot a black death-ball at him from her hands. Or something. What the heck was going on?

He got up with a groan, picking up his detecto-bot and wondering if he'd slipped and knocked himself out, and just imagined that odd woman. But the Horn of Qilin was nowhere to be found. In fact, according to his Shen Gong Wu finding device, the Horn was more or less stationary and still nearby, but on the other side of this wooded cavern.

Jack's train of thought screeched to a halt, backing up entirely in the opposite direction before terminating at the Purple Hair station. If there was one colour he'd had enough of over the past few months, it was a nagging, tetchy purple.

_Wuya ... She's got her body back?_ It had to be. That was the only possible explanation. Who else would be out here in the middle of nowhere, looking for Shen Gong Wu?

Making Wuya angry when she was a transparent ghost was one thing. Back when Wuya had stayed in Jack's lab, Jack's brain had actually learned to block out the specific sound of her voice, so that he had been able to finish his robot up-grades whenever she had been hovering over him in one of her rants. When she had discovered he wasn't even paying attention to her any more, she had gotten into a strop and had kept popping up through objects when he least expected it, scaring the living daylights out of him the first couple of times, and annoying him thereafter. So, to get his own back, he'd just constantly played his rock hard music at rock hard volume levels and completely _blasted_ her out with huge booming speakers. That had _really_ got on her nerves.

But he wouldn't be able to do any of those things now she was back to normal, because now she could fight back. She'd probably go back to his house _just_ to destroy those speakers. Not good.

But then ... according to his detecto-bot, the Horn of Qilin was still here. What was she waiting for? She and Raimundo had the Golden Tiger Claws; surely they would have escaped with the Horn by now ... Maybe he could nip in and steal it back from her.

Right, then. If she wanted to play hardball with _Jack_ _Spicer_, evil boy genius extraordinaire, then she would have to pay the consequences.

With stubborn resolve, Jack activated his heli-pack, ordered his robots to follow him, and followed the detecto-bot's directions.

* * *

Dojo knew that several warriors had met a premature death at Wuya's hands. Would she kill Omi? He wasn't sure, but he didn't want to wait to find out. Dojo wasn't the bravest of dragons, it was true, but he'd grown attached to the little kid, and didn't want to see anything happen to him.

Although Raimundo had seen Dojo earlier, the little dragon was still hiding in the tree, and Wuya didn't seem to be aware of his presence. Like most magical creatures, he was able to disguise his energy signature, so, if he did this right, he'd be able to take her by surprise and save Omi.

_All right,_ he thought, _time for action._ He would do what he had to. He was a _dragon_, after all, and dragons were supposed to be fierce, powerful, _and_ fearsome. Now was the time to prove that he was all of those things and more, regardless of what had happened in the past.

Thankfully, there was more than enough space in the forested cavern for him to grow to his full size, and so, when Wuya said, "Let's get out of here," he charged at her. She shrieked as she stumbled and dropped the Horn of Qilin, which fell to the floor and bounced away. Raimundo could only stare as Dojo continued his flight; in the same movement, he knocked Omi out of the Huai-Ren's hand. Omi also bounced away like a ball, behind some bushes, and Dojo changed direction, looping round in order to rescue him.

Wuya recovered quickly, though, and before Dojo could reach safety, she sent a black shot from her hand that caused him to return to his smaller size. She was not in the mood to play around now; there would be no escaping this time.

"You detestable _worm_!"

Dojo turned around – and _cringed_ under Wuya's furious glare, the kind of stare that could melt solid rock. He'd sure picked a hell of a time to start being heroic.

"I'm going to turn you into an _insect_," she promised heartlessly, "and watch you _squirm_, like the miserable little maggot you are!"

"Yoink!" came a new voice. There was the sound of whirling helicopter rotors, followed by the appearance of several hovering bronze robots, while Jack Spicer swiftly swooped in and snatched the Horn of Qilin from where it had fallen on the floor.

Wuya growled as she watched her quarry escape: Dojo took advantage of the distraction to disappear with the immobile Omi behind a large rock that was in turn behind Jack and his robots.

"Hello again, _Wuya_," Jack said frostily as he landed. He started clapping slowly (with the Horn in one hand) to show a small, mocking round of applause. "Congratulations – you've finally decided to join us in the _physical_ realm."

"No thanks to _your_ pathetic incompetence."

"In a good mood, are we today?" he asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"You're losing your touch, _Jackie_," she retorted scornfully. "I expected _you_ to follow me here straight away."

"Aww ... Did ya miss me?" Jack drawled, his voice still mockingly saccharin.

"Hardly! But, since you're here, why not stay a while?" She smiled coldly. "Ready for round two?"

Jack's response was a huge, confident smirk. "Any time, missy."

Raimundo leaped straight into action as soon as Jack ordered his robots to attack, smashing a few robots with a dazzling flurry of kicks. The Huai-Ren sung a _ting!_ note, and a silver pulsing ray came from its mouth, but the blast harmlessly ricocheted off one of the robots; robots didn't seem to count as being 'living'. Since they were unaffected by its trademark spell, the Huai-Ren resorted to some old-fashioned dragon slicing and slashing.

As most of his robots were getting trashed (courtesy of some dragon claws, gusty kicks and black magic), Jack went for the escape option and used his portable helicopter to fly upwards. But the Huai-Ren spread its wings, flying up to block his getaway. Jack paused briefly, seeming to have only just noticed the dragon, but he dived and flew underneath – only to find Wuya staring back at him, ready to chuck another one of her 'balls of death' (as Jack had christened them). The Huai-Ren turned around and swiped at him from behind. Jack narrowly dodged, but the blow managed to catch the propellers from his portable helicopter, and he fell to the ground.

"End of the line, Jack. Hand over the Horn of Qilin."

"No way, Wuya," he retorted, and he stood up quickly, crossing his arms in a blatant show of defiance. "My days of listening to you are over."

"_What?_ You hardly _ever_ listened to me."

Raimundo stopped fighting robots for a moment; Dojo chanced a peek around the rock; and they both watched the exchange with mild interest.

_No love lost,_ thought Dojo.

"You _know_ what I mean," Jack persisted. "I refuse to be your _lackey_ – I've got my own plans of world domination to pursue, and they _don't_ include you."

"As you wish," she replied icily, "but be warned, Jack Spicer – I won't hold back this time."

Jack actually laughed. "Don't let _me_ stop you!"

Wuya fired, and Dojo and Raimundo both gawked. Jack just stood there, waiting for the attack to hit him. At the last moment, he pushed a button on his wrist watch, causing a strange blue shield to appear around him from tip to toe, which completely absorbed the black ball as it made contact

"Wha –?"

"Ha-ha!" He pointed to an odd red glowing device on his chest. "The Jack Spicer Micro Force-Field Generator absorbs any kind of energy blasts, even magical ones!" he said to an invisible mass of people. "You won't be able to catch me off guard with that attack a second time, Wuya."

It was never wise to underestimate an opponent, and she silently commended Jack for his tenacious ingenuity. In fact, she'd been expecting something of this nature, and she would have been disappointed if Jack _hadn't_ showed up with some kind of new-fangled invention. It had been lousy timing on his part, though.

"Most impressive, Jack," she conceded, "but I think you'll find it will take a lot more than your mechanical tools to defeat me."

"Well, I'll just have to use _this_ thing instead, then, won't I?" he rejoined, pointing one end of the Horn right at her._ "Horn of Qilin_!"

A beam of sprinkling light came from the end of the Horn, startling Jack into falling backwards, as the beam went not forwards, but downwards, straight through his right foot.

"W-what?" he stammered. "What happened?"

"You imbecile!" Wuya yelled, causing everyone else capable of movement, whether Xiaolin, Heylin or otherwise, to jump quite a distance in the air. She was both angry _and_ exasperated – just how moronic could one person be?

"You are quite possibly the most _idiotic_ boy that I have ever had the misfortune of knowing!"

She shouldn't have been surprised, really. Jack was always so eager to show off whenever he had a new Shen Gong Wu that he didn't always use the magic in the proper manner.

Raimundo gave Wuya a strange look – something he was starting to get used to doing – and Jack, sitting on the floor and still holding the Horn of Qilin out in exactly the same position as when he had fired, looked both stunned and nonplussed at the same time.

_What the hell's wrong with this woman?_ thought Jack. _I'm not even on her side any more and she's **still** banging on my case! _

"Huh?" Jack said out loud.

"You're holding it the wrong way round, kid," called Dojo, still peering around the rock. He never thought he'd actually be rooting for _Jack__ Spicer_, but Kimiko had made a good point back in the other cave. It was a case of choosing the lesser of two evils. Better to fight Jack than Wuya.

"Oh, yeah," Jack said a little sheepishly, turning the stag-like horn the right way round in his hand before propping himself up with his left hand. _But why would Wuya care? Unless she **wants** me to use it ..._

The boy-genius was thoroughly confused. But Jack knew something that Raimundo was only just beginning to discover; trying to figure out Wuya's intentions was like trying to get Ashley to get rid of those blasted cats – no matter how hard you pushed and shoved for what you wanted, it just couldn't be done.

He shrugged. "Meh. Doesn't matter. I'm still gonna use this and my other Shen Gong Wu to go out and take over the world, so you'd better watch out."

"You will so _not_. You're an idiot, Jack – you don't even know what this Shen Gong Wu does. You'll just use it irresponsibly, without any regard for the consequences, as usual ..." Wuya spoke in an careless tone, seeming to have found a sudden interest in her nails.

"Oh yeah? You think so? Well, little Miss High-and-Mighty, I was smart enough to take the Horn back from _you_. And, I have to tell you – I'm _not_ in the mood to share."

"I don't care. _In_ _fact_," she said casually, with the superior air of someone who had far more important things to do than talk to a spoiled child, "you can keep your lousy horn. I don't want it any more."

"_What_? Why?"

"It doesn't do much anyway. It just purifies water and shines in darkness. That's all it does."

Jack's eyes narrowed. Unfortunately, though his Shen Gong Wu detector could tell him the position and name of a Shen Gong Wu, it was unable to tell him anything about its function. Therefore, he didn't actually know what the Horn did. It had been a risky thing to do, to just use the Horn on Wuya like that, but he needed to know what it did, and that was why he'd been so eager to test it out. He would have to work on upgrading the detecto-bot, when he had time.

"Why should I believe _you_?"

"Take a look around, _genius_. This forest is not a natural occurrence. The Horn of Qilin does not need to be active in order for its magic to work. Over time, the Horn's purifying powers have seeped into this small stream, and the Horn itself has provided the light needed for the plants to grow. Plants will flourish wherever there is light and water. I'm sure even _your_ pathetic mind can grasp that simple concept."

"What?" Jack exclaimed, looking at the Horn in disgust. "I've got a magical _water_-_filter_? How the heck am I s'posed to use _that_ to conquer the world? This Shen Gong Wu's useless!" He angrily slammed it down on the floor.

The Horn must have taken offence, because the second it hit the ground, each branch of the Horn started to shoot out beams of white light in every thinkable direction in an almost rebellious manner, just to show Jack how wrong he was.

The beams of light shot everywhere, like an all-out laser war – being executed by a one-horn army. Jack's shield prevented any shots from actually reaching him, and Wuya reflected some shots with a shield of her own. The Huai-Ren surprised Raimundo by actually speaking, and deflected another shot using the Reversing Mirror. This shot turned from a glittering white to an ominous purple, rebounded off one of the robots and hit Raimundo in the chest; meanwhile the dragon was hit in the chest by a different white beam and vanished in a poof of bluish white smoke. The Reversing Mirror dropped to the ground.

"Oookay ... maybe it's _not_ so useless," Jack commented, after the Horn had decided to stop being so trigger-happy.

Raimundo had had enough of waiting on the sidelines. Still feeling he had something to prove, he made a scramble for the Horn of Qilin, while Wuya calmly went to get the Reversing Mirror back. Jack had decided that the Horn would be helpful after all, since it could "dissolve Wuya's dragon thing", so he also went for it. Unsurprisingly, both boys reached the Horn at the same time, and the Horn's white glow turned yellow.

"Hit the road, Jack. This Shen Gong Wu's mine."

"You wish! Raimundo, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown. Your Lotus Twister versus my Mantis Flip Coin."

"What's the challenge?"

Jack looked around and saw the sparkling stream. "First one to push the other into the lovely '_purified_' water wins."

"You're on, Spicer. Xiaolin Showdown!"

The magic of the Shen Gong Wu came into effect as the Horn of Qilin rose up, transforming the entire area. After the ground and rocks had shaken, the trees had flown away and the land had changed completely, Jack and Raimundo both found themselves standing atop a flat rock that was surrounded by a circular rim of water. It was eerie, the way the Shen Gong Wu could just change the nearby terrain without any regard for the laws of physics. But no one was there for the view. As Jack had said, the first one to push the other off the rock into the water would win the showdown, the Horn of Qilin and the wagered Shen Gong Wu.

"Ready, Latino-boy?"

"Let's go already. Gong Yi Tampai!"

Jack still had four robots left, and he ordered them right away to go after Raimundo. Dojo and Wuya both watched from separate rocks a little way away, Dojo for once actually hoping Jack would win. At least Wuya wouldn't be able to interfere in the showdown; the Shen Gong Wu's magic prevented intervention from anyone or anything not taking part. What Dojo couldn't figure out was how Jack could use his robots or gadgets to cheat. Well, as long as Wuya didn't get the Horn of Qilin, Dojo didn't care how Jack won.

While Raimundo was fighting the robots, Jack tried to take him by surprise and he rushed at him, trying to push him out with a slamming tackle. But Raimundo used the Lotus Twister to gain stretchy limbs and grabbed Jack as he went by.

"Hey – no fair!"

"Hah! Care for a swim?"

Jack struggled and strained as Raimundo slowly forced him towards the water's edge – this was similar to what he'd done to Raimundo in their previous showdown. But Jack had a hidden advantage. He started to snicker, which Raimundo was quick to notice.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," Jack breezed, "just that you're about to get _sent_."

"What?"

Jack managed to reach his wristwatch and pushed a button, activating his blue shield again. Raimundo was indeed sent flying, all the way across to the other side of the rock.

"Ow, man," he said, rubbing his head. "Talk about unfair..."

"You ain't seen nothing yet," said Jack with swaggering glee. "Check _this_ out." He pushed another button, and a strange compartment appeared from his heli-pack. From inside this, Jack brandished a shiny, long object with odd coils at the end, which looked like some kind of ray gun from a science fiction movie.

"What is _that_?"

"The Jack Spicer, Evil Boy Genius, Mega Ray Cannon! It comes with an added flamethrower, laser beams and – my all-time favourite – lightning blasts!"

"Well that's a _bit_ _much_," said Dojo.

"You've _gotta_ be kidding me," said Raimundo.

"Typical," said Wuya. "He has to resort to using his metallic machines in order to win a showdown."

"I didn't want to have to use this," Jack said, with an expression that said that he had had _every_ intention of using the gun, "but you've left me with no choice." He sniggered as he pushed a button that seemed to power it up. The Ray Cannon made an eerie humming noise, sounding like it was charging up. Jack fired; the gun made an odd crackling noise and a purple bolt of lightning shot at Raimundo.

Raimundo angrily moved out of the way. This wasn't fair – as well as his robots and the Mantis Flip Coin, Jack had his own custom-built Eye of Dashi. All _he_ had was the Lotus Twister. He continued to dodge the lightning bolts, jumping onto one of Jack's robots and quickly forcing it to fly high into the air.

Still avoiding the blasts, he dived downwards with the robot and hurriedly made a giant leap from it, ready to catch Jack with a flying kick, but at the last possible moment, Jack jumped out of the way with a somewhat clumsy roll to the right, and Raimundo sailed right past him, past another robot – and into the water.

There was a flash, and the area returned to normal. Jack was grinning widely, holding the Horn of Qilin, the Lotus Twister and the Mantis Flip Coin. Raimundo growled in furious frustration – he could not believe he had lost the showdown to Jack.

Immediately after the showdown had ended, Dojo grew to a larger size, carrying the frozen Omi in his two hands. He'd seen what he needed to – Jack had won the Horn of Qilin, so now was his chance to return to where he'd left Kimiko and Clay, before Wuya got any ideas. He wouldn't be able to travel back the way they had come in his larger form, but he remembered another way through the caverns, where there would be enough room. He just had to follow the river upstream until he came to a T-junction, and turn right. The Horn would continue to glow, so as long as Jack was still in the caves, the light coming from it would guide the way through this particular route.

"They're getting away," Raimundo said, still looking furious. "_Again_." The Serpent's Tail, which had been completely forgotten by everyone in all the chaos, was still on the floor, and he went to pick it up. He watched Wuya carefully. She didn't seem to care – again. She didn't seem to be concerned about the loss of the Horn of Qilin either. Maybe it was because she still had the Two Ton Tunic? Who knew?

For her part, Wuya growled again, and then sighed gently. She may not have been able to capture Omi, but she had won a couple of consolation prizes, and they were really good ones, too. As far as she was concerned, she had in fact gotten what she wanted – but there was no way she would tell Raimundo what that was. She rather _enjoyed_ not telling anyone what she was planning – it kept people guessing, and gave her an _amusing_ advantage.

Raimundo did _not_ look amused in the slightest. "Is there _any_ point in me asking why you're not bothered about it?"

Jack interrupted them both with an arrogant laugh. "I won the showdown! How do you like THEM apples, Wuya?"

"I already _told_ you," she said, turning to face him, "I don't _care_ if you have the Horn or not." She gave another cold smile, irritating both Jack _and_ Raimundo. The Brazilian shook his head. What was it she knew that everyone else didn't?

Jack, on the other hand, gave up. He really did. Generally, Wuya's plans were millions of lines of alien code from the planet Sgarbonza – utterly crazy and virtually impossible to decipher.

"Whatever. I'm outta here." Jack turned around and turned on a repairing function on his back-pack, causing new propellers to sprout up. He flew with his remaining robots in the same direction as Dojo had.

Still smirking, Wuya finally used the Golden Tiger Claws to make a purple portal to the palace. She and Raimundo went through, Raimundo feeling just as confused and angry as when he'd arrived.


	6. And when the crow caws

**Uploaded: 11th September 2004**

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**Chapter 6: And when the crow caws ...**

Drorpions were winged dragon-headed creatures, but with the muscular body and hardened hooves of wild stallions, and long, thin whip-like tails. With impetuous and impatient tempers, they were generally one of the most fiercest creatures to contend with, especially when on the defensive. But the werewolf didn't care. He leapt up high, snarling as he rushed at the Drorpion. The Drorpion turned around, lashed out its whip-like tail and struck the wolf cleanly. A second Drorpion opened its dragon mouth and breathed fire at three imps and a goblin, causing their bodies to catch fire.

A dark-haired man in a caped hood stood from afar. There had been ten of them attacking the main gates in total, but the anzu had been headbutted into a harpy and a troll against the walls of the cave; the goblin had put out the fire but was staying back warily; while, thanks to the hit by the Drorpion's tail, the werewolf was reeling backwards. The three imps were still running around, trying to put their fires out, and the chimaera was having trouble standing, having taken a blow in its lion's head from one of the Drorpion's diamond hooves.

The man cursed his luck. If these were the best forces that Sando'ip could assemble, then they might as well give themselves up right now. This was the _third_ time they had tried to penetrate the Dwarves' prison, and every time they had been impeded by these unruly Drorpions. It was time to try a different tack.

He held up a strange golden-rimmed ruby, which was part of a necklace. It was the sacred jewel of the Shoka tribe, protected from the world for many hundreds of years. Once, he had been forced to uphold their tradition as guardians of the jewel. He could never return there now. He had turned his back on the Shoka way of life and stolen it one day, leaving his village in the hopes of gaining power. But it had all been for nothing, because he had not been able to figure out how it worked. He knew it was an object that held great magical power – a Shen Gong Wu – but he had no idea how to operate it.

He stepped out of the shadows. "Retreat," he called despondently.

The goblin whirled round in surprise. "What? But we – "

"We're not strong enough to defeat them," the man cut in. _At least without the aid of magic, anyway._

"Fine," said the goblin sulkily. The various monsters gave up their attack, and ran away from the main gate of the Dwarves' prison, limping and whimpering as they did so.

Moments later the large golden gate opened, and an old grey-haired man in blue and golden robes came out, followed by a red and gold serpentine dragon.

"What happened?" the old man demanded. "What was all that noise?"

"It was Sando'ip and the monsters' leaders trying to break the prisoners free again," one of the Drorpions replied.

"Again?" rumbled the dragon. "How often has this happened?"

"Three times, now, in the last week. We cannot leave our post to apprehend them because Kadolf and all the Dwarves have been affected by the poisoned water."

"Sando'ip? Who is this Sando'ip?" asked the robed man.

"He is the Chief goblin," replied the dragon. "He escaped the Dwarves' prison some weeks ago with some of the other leaders. Was DarkClaw with them?"

"Yes, he sounded the retreat. But we need reinforcements, Long! They may not have been able to advance very far, but that means nothing. We are currently the only line of defence. If Sando'ip manages to get more rogue monsters rallied to his side, we will not stand a chance."

"Ah, now I see why your chief called us both in this morning," said Long, and the man nodded. "She would not tell me why she wanted me to remain here all day; she only mentioned the problems with the contaminated water. But I realise that she must have wanted us to see for ourselves how dire the situation has become. She must want fighters to help her cause."

"Yes ... that must be why she has called you both here."

"Alas," the old man said sadly, "I do not have any students with elements. They have all chosen to train at the Xiaolin temple. I fear Wuya's infamy has forever tarnished the reputation of the Heylin temple."

"But where, then, is the master of the Xiaolin temple?"

"Chief Akala had asked for him to come also," Long replied. "I believe he had sent the Chosen Ones to recover a stolen Shen Gong Wu very early this morning and he did not want to leave the temple until they had returned safely. But it is becoming late in the day and we have not yet received word from him. That concerns me slightly."

"Do you think something has happened to the Chosen Ones?" the old man asked him.

"I don't know ..."

"In the meantime," said the first Drorpion, eager to keep the conversation on something that he felt was a more important topic, "would you not be able to give us a hand in capturing the escapees?"

The red dragon shook his head, his golden lion-like mane rippling as he did so. "I will be able to remain here for the rest of today, but ... I cannot leave Pîg-jing for good. I must protect that village, for it is one of the few safe havens."

The second Drorpion stamped an angry hoof in frustration. This answer was unacceptable, even coming from Long! "So what are we to do? We cannot let the monsters break out of the Dwarves' prison! They will cause havoc amongst the humans, most of whom do not even believe such things exist!"

"Yes, I am aware of that. Sando'ip was obviously responsible for poisoning the sweet water, I know that now."

"Oh, that is what I wanted to tell you before we were interrupted," the man said to Long. "You know that I sent some of the water to Befana. She has replied with an analysis. The water has a high concentration of pixie-dust."

Long let out a deep breath. "It would appear, then, that Sando'ip has managed to get his grimy little hands on pixie-dust. As you all know, pixie-dust is very rare, and can only be found in one place – Luceville. How would Sando'ip know how to get there? Very few people know of its location."

"I do not know," the first Drorpion responded, "but we need help – and soon."

The master of the Heylin temple nodded. "I will speak to Befana again, and let her know how serious the situation has become. She is in a better position than I am to contact others and ask for their assistance. Hopefully she will be in the process of making an antidote as well."

"And what should we do until then?"

Long growled. "Pray Sando'ip hasn't gotten any smarter over the last hundred years."

* * *

Dojo was thinking hard, trying to remember how to cure the Huai-Ren's stop spell. It had been such a long time since they had ever needed to use it. His father had asked him to join Grand Master Dashi and SilverClaw on their quest, and, because of his ability to sense active Shen Gong Wu, he had turned out to be a valuable asset, too. Once Wuya had been defeated, he had helped Dashi hide away the Shen Gong Wu, and the Shen Gong Wu scroll was to be kept inside the Xiaolin temple, so he became its designated guardian. SilverClaw had kept a few of the Shen Gong Wu herself, and had gone to seek out the rest of her kind, the Shoka. They had been scattered across the world, not by Wuya, but by Li Jin.

Poor little Omi ... Dojo hadn't even realised that Wuya would attack so soon with her Huai-Ren, as they used up a lot of chi energy to create. But the one he had seen was different to the ones he remembered ...

And Wuya had been acting weird, as well. So unconcerned, when taunting Jack ... The Wuya he knew would have easily taken the Horn from him. Despite what she'd said to him, she had been holding back.

So why had she let Jack keep the Horn of Qilin? She was usually overly obsessive when it came to Shen Gong Wu – especially the Horn, because she also had the Reversing Mirror. Maybe, deep down, she had a soft spot for Jack, since he was the one who released her in the first place? Dojo doubted it. Wuya had a track record that would make a serial killer run for the hills. She was probably just playing with him. That seemed the more likely explanation.

Unless ... she didn't have her powers any more. Maybe the Puzzle of Gui Xian had drained her of her energy ... except that ... that didn't explain why the skies had gone all dark, or why there was no electrical power, or why the trees had withered away. Those things had EVERYTHING to do with Wuya's powers.

Well, something wasn't adding up. There must have been something up with her, but what? What was so special about the Horn of Qilin? It was nagging at the back of his mind, just like the strange tugging he was feeling right now. It was the same feeling he felt whenever a Shen Gong Wu activated. And then it hit him – the Horn of Qilin's magic was always active, even when it was inactive! And now it had activated fully. That meant that as long as Jack had it on him, Wuya would be able to sense his whereabouts.

It was, in fact, the Horn of Qilin he was sensing right now. He hadn't been found Clay and Kimiko at the meeting point, so he was on his way to Jack's house; but Jack had overtaken him when he had stopped. Dojo could feel that the Horn was directly in front of him. He was going to have to hurry if he was going to get the others out of there before Jack did anything stupid.

Like attacking them.

* * *

Kimiko flew through the corridors with the Jet Bootsu, her heart beating wildly. She could hear both the creatures snarling, and the wingless one's fast-paced clinking on the ground. She took a sharp left into a room, and the creatures shot past, thinking she had gone straight ahead.

She breathed a short sigh of relief, and then the confusion started to kick in. What were those things? Maybe it was Jack who had gone a bit TOO far with the security system.

But she hardly had time to think anything else when she felt a cold breeze surround her, as the feathered one materialised through the wall almost directly behind her. She clumsily turned around to see the creature's snout inches from her face. It grinned, a toothy reptilian smile, and said, "Huo," in a guttural, almost unintelligible manner.

She stepped backwards – but a second growl behind her alerted her to the fact that the other creature had appeared from the other side. How, she had no idea, but she was now surrounded by the two, and she was going to have to fight.

_Fine_, she thought, _if it's a fight they want_ –

"_Ting_!" said the feathered one. The air started to throb, and the silver ray came out of its mouth, but unlike the Huai-Ren that had attacked Omi, they did not have the element of surprise. Kimiko was staring straight at the creature; she jumped up to dodge, and flew towards it, aiming to strike it with a hard kick – but the other creature came forward in two quick strides, snapping at her with its crocodile head. It managed to catch the Shroud of Shadows, and it jerked its head, managing to take it from her hands. The winged Huai-Ren struck her down from behind with a quick swipe, knocking her to the ground.

It placed its clawed foot down on her right leg, and she struggled, but the creature grinned once again, and then opened its mouth, preparing to freeze her.

And then suddenly it started to screech. From the floor, Kimiko saw the Huai-Ren's body fall to the ground right beside her with a _thump!_. The second one's eyes narrowed, and its body tensed as it prepared to charge at the interferer, but a purple lightning bolt came from outside the door, and it howled in pain as it too fell down, dropping the Shroud of Shadows.

"So it's you," came a female voice, from outside the room. Kimiko picked herself up, and saw Katnappe in her black cat-costume, holding what looked to be a laser gun. It was probably one of Jack's inventions.

"Katnappe," Kimiko hissed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the very same thing." Katnappe cast a downwards glance at the fallen monsters. "We should talk somewhere else. We'd better get out of here, before they recover."

Kimiko looked at her suspiciously. Kimiko could be quite hot-headed at times, and more often than not she would say whatever was on her mind, but she was generally quite easy-going when it came to meeting new people. She did try to get along as best as she could – provided she didn't let her temper get the better of her.

But ever since she'd first met Katnappe, she'd found her annoying in every possible way. Maybe it was her tacky outfit, or annoying voice, or attitude – or the fact that she was a bad-ass fighter, despite all that – but whatever the reason, Katnappe really irked Kimiko just by _being_ there. It hadn't helped that they had been on opposing sides when they had first met, but even if they hadn't, Katnappe would have irritated her with all her cat references. Kimiko had nothing against cats – in fact, her best friend Keiko had a pet Burmese – but there was such a thing as going _too_ far.

Kimiko's dislike for Katnappe had grown immensely after the alligator showdown for the Lotus Twister. After the showdown, Katnappe had captured her inside a net and then taken her to Wuya inside this very house. How did she know she wasn't working for Wuya now?

"Why should I trust you?"

"Fine," said Katnappe, waving a hand dismissively as she started to walk away. "Be that way. _Be_ ungrateful that I saved your life. But if you get eaten, or frozen, or maimed, don't come crying to me."

Kimiko had to admit that if Katnappe _was_ working for Wuya, she wouldn't have saved her from those ... monsters. Kimiko picked up the Shroud of Shadows (which was, disgustingly, a little wet) and reluctantly followed the other girl through Jack's house. First Raimundo had managed to steal the Serpent's Tail; then Wuya had been resurrected and they'd been forced to flee; then she was being chased by some hellish rejects from a monster movie; and now she was having to put blind trust in one of the last people she'd ever want to be stuck with. What a nightmare of a day this was turning out to be.

They both noiselessly entered a new room, cautiously checking for signs of life. The room itself was a tip, just like the other room had been. Clothes, jewellery, papers – all were strewn across the floor, along with a sideways turned wardrobe and an upside down double-bed. Katnappe said, "They can go through walls, so I'm not sure how safe we'll be here. We need to figure out a way to take them down permanently."

They both decided to sit behind the overturned wardrobe, and Kimiko asked, "Why are you helping me?"

Katnappe shrugged. "Do you _want_ to get killed? Besides, those freaks froze two of my kittens _and_ my parents, and I'm not about to let them get away with that. Just call this a temporary truce."

"Okay, then," Kimiko accepted, somewhat begrudgingly. She never thought she'd be working with Katnappe ... but it could be worse. Instead of being here with an annoying cat fanatic, she _could_ be here with creepy _Jack_.

"What's happened here? Are those things robots? One of Jack's experiments gone wrong?"

"I doubt it," said Katnappe vaguely, unsure of how much to tell Kimiko. She paused slightly, and then decided that Kimiko was one of the Xiaolin warriors, after all. If anyone could fix this mess, it'd be one of them

"They're after the Shen Gong Wu. I know _that_ much. There were four of them. We were all in the same room – my parents, Jack's parents, and me and Jack. Jack made some lame excuse to leave, and then after that Jack's parents left, so I was left in the room with my parents.

"Then those monsters just suddenly appeared through the walls and asked me and my parents if we knew where any Shen Gong Wu were, and then when my parents freaked out, they started trashing the place. They breathed out some kind of weird paralysing ray. It made a ting! noise. They froze my parents, and two of my kittens, like I said." She pulled out two white kittens from her little back pack. "Look, see?"

Kimiko looked at the frozen kittens, and couldn't help wondering if this was similar to what she'd looked like when she had been turned into a statue by the Sapphire Dragon. If so, then that might have meant a Shen Gong Wu had been involved. Jack would have gone after the Horn of Qilin so that would leave – Wuya.

_She sure didn't waste any time,_ Kimiko thought darkly.

Katnappe placed the kittens back in her bag. "But I managed to escape," she continued, "and I'd brought my costume, and tools, so I got changed. One of my kittens ran away, and I was looking for it, and then I bumped into some of Jack's robots, and then you."

Kimiko thought for a moment. The minute she had been spotted, she had immediately been attacked. "They _asked_? They didn't attack right away?"

"Well, more like growled. I don't know where Jack's parents went ... They'd excused themselves, but when they'd left the room you could hear them arguing."

"They've been frozen too, I saw them."

"And as for Jack, well I haven't a clue where he went. Said he was going to his room to study – but he probably went to his lab to work on those robots of his."

"What's that?" Kimiko asked, pointing to the small gun Katnappe had used.

"It shoots out bolts of lightning. Electricity seems to stun those monsters temporarily. I think it's a prototype for some really special cannon gun thing that Jack kept going on about. It was something I noticed when I first met Jack, actually. I kinda ... _borrowed_ it from him the last time I was here."

Katnappe looked at Kimiko seriously. "Now let me ask _you_ something. _What_ are you doing here?"

Kimiko hesitated, and then said, "I'm here to get a Shen Gong Wu off Jack."

Katnappe laughed a laugh that Kimiko found REALLY annoying. "You? Came here? To _steal_ a Shen Gong Wu? And I thought you were supposed to be one of the good guys."

"It's a really important Shen Gong Wu!" Kimiko snapped, indignant as to why she should have to defend her actions, that were for the greater good, against someone who stole things for the thrill of it. "If Jack tries to use it, he'll probably screw it up."

"I know _that's_ true," Katnappe said, giving the other girl an odd look – they were both actually agreeing on something.

"Sure wish I had the Eye of Dashi," said Kimiko. "What about if we go in Jack's lab? He might have some of his Shen Gong Wu there."

"We won't be able to get in. I tried before. Bonehead's put some kind of force-field around it. Hey, you!" she whisper-called to a small brown bird which had flown inside the room. "Where have you been?

The bird mechanically transformed into a silver mannequin-like robot. Kimiko recognised it as Jack's Chameleon-bot, although she didn't know what version he'd got up to. 3.0, perhaps?

**"Scouting the house, as you requested," **the robot replied.** "The master is not present anywhere, and I've detected eight creatures, four of whom have been disabled."**

Katnappe shook her head. "For goodness sake! Where did he go?"

"Gone off to get the Horn of Qilin, I'd imagine," said Kimiko.

"Idiot! His house is getting smashed and all he can think about is those Shen Gong Wu. Wait ... did you say _eight_?"

**"Affirmative." **

"But I only saw four ..."

**"Two of the anomalous creatures are inside the dining room, and two are outside the wall perimeter."**

_Oh no,_ thought Kimiko. _Clay ..._

* * *

Clay turned around, and was backhanded roughly in the stomach by a dark scaly arm. His back collided with a tree, which was in such a withered condition that it collapsed under his weight. He looked up. In the darkness, it was difficult to make out what had attacked him, but he could see its outline: a black, spiny two-legged lizard with hollowed, darkened eyes staring back at him.

_The chameleon-bot? _he thought. _What gives?_ He'd been sitting down calmly for the past twenty-five minutes, waiting for Omi to come back with the Horn of Qilin, for Kimiko to come out of Jack's house, mindin' his own beeswax, and this stupid robot had attacked him out of the blue. Well, now it'd have Clay Bailey to deal with.

He quickly stood up, while the lizard picked up the Shen Gong Wu chest in its forearms.

"Oh no you don't," said Clay, swinging round his lasso, and roping it around the chest. There was a tug-of-war contest as the creature pulled back. Clay was pulled suddenly, and there was a tearing sound, since his trousers had been caught on one of the tree's gnarled roots. Clay used the Third Arm Sash to grab on also, and pulled hard one last time, and the Huai-Ren lost the chest; it tipped on its side, its lid opening and some of the Shen Gong Wu falling out.

The Huai-Ren showed its teeth, and took the fallen Longi Kite in its arms. Clay ran closer – it opened its mouth to say _ting!_ – but this time Clay used the Third-Arm Sash and his Earth element to smash it in the face, and he followed this up with a Clay rushing body-blow, slamming it against the wall.

"Phew ..."

Clay took a moment to think. Robots generally moved in jerky movements, but it seemed too ... animal-like, too fluid in its motions to have been a robot. Jack must have done a really good upgrade.

He bent down, starting to put the Shen Gong Wu back inside the chest, when a second Huai-Ren appeared through the wall, a vulture-like creature that swooped swiftly, heading for the Shen Gong Wu. Clay could feel a cool breeze and heard a whoosh! noise as it flew by, grabbing the Sun Chi Lantern and the Heart of Jong in its talons.

Clay grabbed the Eye of Dashi and tried a lightning blast, but the vulture was more agile than it looked, and it ducked and weaved, avoiding the bolts. It flew _away_ from the house, increasing Clay's suspicions that these things were not actually anything to do with Jack.

Meanwhile, the lizard growled, "Longi Kite," and it used the Kite to fly down, taking the Star Hanabi and the Fist of Tebigong while Clay was distracted. Clay turned around only to see it flying off, also high and away from the house.

He sighed, lamenting the loss of the Shen Gong Wu. They must have been something to do with Wuya. That had to be it. They looked like darkness and evil personified – at least in Clay's opinion, although it wasn't too far off from the truth.

He had just finished gathering up the rest of the Shen Gong Wu when loud rock music flared. Clay looked up, and saw himself surrounded by some of Jack's robots. There were less of them than usual, but it was still a pain to have to fight once more, after what had just happened. And now Clay was _certain_ that those monsters were Wuya's doing.

Jack was looking VERY pleased with himself. "Well, now," he grinned from his hovercar, "what DO we have here? Clay with – " he tittered with laughter " – his pants down!"

Clay turned to look down, and saw that there was a large hole in the back of his trousers, revealing boxers with cowboy hats on them. Jack was banging against the side of his hovercar, howling with mocking laughter.

"Cut that out!" Clay growled, trying to patch over the hole – but Jack wasn't going to be laughing for much longer. Two _more_ Huai-Ren materialised through the outer wall (these were larger and more dragon-like in appearance). One of them smashed through Jack's remaining robots as if they weren't even there; the other one booted Jack's hovercar like a football and sent it flying into the horizon. Jack ejected just in time, but he wasn't going to be seeing his hovercar again any time soon.

Jack landed next to Clay, and said, "They look like that dragon thing I fought," sounding surprised.

" 'S more of them evil things," said Clay, almost at the same time.

They exchanged quick glances and then they said: "You've fought them too?"

"No time!" said Clay, as the two dragons flew towards them.

"No problem," said Jack with a smug smile, taking out the Horn of Qilin. The entire area lit up as he did so, and they could now see both dragons clearly. "Horn of Qilin!" The Horn shot a beam and one dragon was destroyed; Jack shot a second beam of light, easily getting rid of the second one, too.

"Ah didn't know it could do _that_," said Clay, who, despite his great dislike of Jack, was a little impressed.

"I'll _bet_ you didn't." He paused. "But ... why were they inside my house?"

"Wait, somethin' else is comin'!" Clay exclaimed, pointing to a large form in the sky.

Jack instinctively held the Horn of Qilin out, but it turned out to be Dojo, holding Omi. Dojo landed, carefully placing Omi on the ground. He shrunk in size, and was immediately surrounded by Jack and Clay.

Jack was the first to speak. "WHAT is going on?"

* * *

_Thanks to PrincessViv, EvilDiva and Borgy for some of these translations_

_**pingjing **– tranquil_

_ping – even, level; peaceful_

_jing – tranquil, serene_

_**wuya **– crow or raven ... hence the name of the chapter._

_wu – black; crow_

_ya – crow, raven_

_I looked up the Chinese characters, so, once again, if there're any mistakes, tell me, and I'll correct them. But no flames. Constructiveness only, please._

_**Mythical creatures**_

_**anzu** – a mythical creature that is winged and four-legged; it has the head, front paws and body-shape of a lion, but has the back legs and tail of an eagle, and its body is feathered._

_**drorpion **– I described these already, but the thing to note is that I made these up. Me. Myself. I. They're long-necked, dragon-headed horses._

_**shoka **– not really a mythical creature, but a form of Japanese flower-arranging. I just picked the name because it fits. I made the Shoka forest-dwelling folk._

_**Li Jin** – made this name up. I don't know if it means anything._


	7. the mice run

**Uploaded: 21st September 2004**

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**Chapter 7: ... the mice run ...**

"So they _are_ workin' for Wuya," Clay said, after Dojo had explained a bit about the Huai-Ren. He looked at Omi sadly. He was still holding the Monkey Staff, a sad expression on his face, his mouth still open in mid sentence. "What's gonna happen to Omi?"

"There's a way to reverse it ... but I can't remember how, or who could do it ..."

"Dojo!"

"It's been fifteen hundred years! But I know someone who can help ... We were on our way there anyway, before the Horn of Qilin became active."

"We need ta find Kimiko," said Clay, sounding worried.

"What?" Jack blurted, clearly surprised. "Kimiko's ... here?"

"Yeah ..." Clay frowned. What if the Huai-Ren had captured her, and were taking her to Wuya right now?

"What are you _doing_ at my house, anyway?"

"We'll explain later," said Dojo, his voice having a mixture of impatience and anxiety, and there was also a sense of urgency too. "There's no time now ... There might be more Huai-Ren around."

"Hmm ..."

Jack was beginning to realise why Wuya had been stalling him so much. She had sent her monsters after his Shen Gong Wu. He turned around, away from Clay and Dojo, and stubbornly headed towards his house. That woman had crossed him for the last time.

Clay started to follow him, but to his surprise, Jack ordered a new batch of his robots to pick up Omi, the Shen Gong Wu Chest, and their bags and belongings.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"I'm taking your stuff to my lab. And before you get alarmed – no, it's not a capture. It'll be safer in my lab because there's a force-field around it. I installed it before I left. You guys can stay there for the moment."

"Why're ya helping us?"

"This is _my_ house. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let Wuya take all my Shen Gong Wu. And since you guys are against her too, I don't see how I can gain anything from fighting you right now."

"Good," said Dojo, "then let's get going."

"But ... I'll be keeping _this_," Jack said, grinning again as he held up the Orb of Tornami. Clay looked around – he must have somehow missed the Orb when he'd been picking up the other Shen Gong Wu.

How the hell could Jack dare to do this? "Give that back, ya dirty snake!"

"Just call it payback for helping you out."

"WHAT?" Clay roared, startling Jack. Wasn't this guy usually calm? "HAND IT BACK, JACK! NOW!"

Clay's worry over Kimiko was making him feel angrier than he would normally be. That plus the fact that he was worried about Omi, too, as well as Master Fung and the other monks – that made Clay seem very intimidating.

"No way, cowboy," said Jack, although he did look as if he thought Clay was gonna feed him a knuckle sandwich.

"Quit arguing!" Dojo snapped, and they both blinked, both of them looking startled now. "Let's just get to safety!"

Because Jack had the Horn of Qilin, Dojo knew. And with Wuya able to sense it ... they could be attacked at any time.

* * *

_Ashley walked through the extravagantly decorated corridor of the Spicer house, wondering what she had done to deserve this ... boredom. After sitting through another of Jack's dad's long talks about his collection of rarities, she had politely excused herself, and left her dad with him. She hated coming to Jack's house for one of the Spicers' dinner parties, because it was so ... boring, listening to the adults talk about their jobs and their life achievements ... Like she cared. No wonder Jack spent so much time in his lab. Still, she wouldn't be bored for long. There was always Jack to tease._

_Jack had lost another showdown, according to Wuya. That hadn't surprised Ashley, really – Jack was always losing his showdowns. It was a shame, too; the Star Hanabi sounded like it packed some real fire-power. Not that Wuya or Jack would let her keep it after what had happened with the Golden Tiger Claws. Both of them had yelled at her for losing them, and now they were stuck in the Earth's core._

_But she didn't care about that, either. Since then, she'd just visited occasionally as Jack and Wuya had continued trying to collect more Shen Gong Wu, and every time, Ashley was 'cordially invited to attend' one of the Spicers' big dos, she just slipped away to hang around with Jack, just to annoy him. It made Jack's parents happy, thinking that he had finally found a friend other than his robots (although Jack's mum had her suspicions that there might be something more between them), but Ashley and Jack were NOT friends ... More, annoying aquaintances. She had last been to the Spicers' house two weeks ago; she couldn't wait to hear about what Jack had messed up this time._

_She had gone upstairs instead of going straight to his underground lab. She was curious ... She knew where his room was, but she had never been inside it, and, since Jack wouldn't know ... She opened the door, took one look inside and soon shut it again. All she had seen was him. Him, him, him. There was something seriously wrong with that boy ..._

_She changed direction and headed for the basement, deciding to go for Jack's lab after all, when she heard her mum screaming in the bathroom._

_**Probably saw her own reflection,** Ashley thought._

_She entered Jack's lab, walking down the stairs. It was a typical evil genius lair. The tables and shelves were full of gadgets and gizmos and doohickeys and thingamabobs and tools and wires and thingamajigs and beakers and robot parts ... But the lab was still missing one main component – the evil genius._

_And Wuya was missing, too. **Stupid robo-freak.** Only a saddo would have a ghost as his only friend._

_She was about to leave, because she was feeling hungry now, when she noticed a spiralling staircase in the ground, right at the back of the lab, leading down towards an even lower level. Ashley had never seen this here before ... She walked down the stairs, and continued along a short corridor. At the end was a large door, surrounded by a strange glowing field. She frowned, stopping roughly ten metres from the strange glow. What was this all about?_

_"I wouldn't go near that if I were you ..." a voice said from behind her._

_"Oh," she said, turning round to see Jack's old biddy-buddy. "Bossy-much. I was wondering where you'd got to. Where's Jack?"_

_"He's inside that force-field, working on something top secret."_

_**Top secret?** Ashley almost laughed. There were no prizes for guessing what it would look like ..._

_"Is that so?" she said, walking back up the stairs._

_Wuya nodded as she followed. "He's MOST secretive about it too ... He's not letting anyone see it."_

_" 'S not like anyone else comes down here," said Ashley, fiddling around with a glowing green ball of goo she had found on one of Jack's tables. God, she was bored._

_"True, but ... even I do not know what he's doing."_

_**Maybe he's fed up of you hovering over him all the time.**_

_"I'm sure he'll tell us what it is in his own time. You know Jack – always likes to brag about his inventions."_

_She put the ball down, and noticed the fridge. That was a new addition to his lab, too._

_"I'm hungry. What's in the fridge?" She opened it, and could see bread, milk, some ready to eat chicken ... She pulled out a pudding cup._

_"Don't eat that! Jack will throw a fit."_

_**Who cares about him?** "Whatever ... I'll take it, so he knows I was here."_

_"He may not be out for a while ..."_

_"Tell Jack I'm gonna mess up his room if he doesn't hurry."_

_Wuya seemed shocked at this statement. "You shouldn't go in there. It's full of his stuff. And when I say his stuff, I mean HIS stuff." She paused. "It's ... disturbing."_

_This, coming from a floating mask._

_"Just tell him."_

_"Fine ..." Wuya replied, sounding bored. And tired. Very tired._

_"What's the buzz, then?"_

_"Huh?" Wuya looked like she hadn't been paying attention. "Oh, there hasn't been another Shen Gong Wu yet, child."_

_"What? That really stinks."_

_"Tell me about it."_

_"Well I'm outty. I'm gonna grab a proper bite to eat."_

_"You do that."_

_Ashley sighed as she walked up the stairs. She should have guessed Jack would have been just as dull as everyone else in this house. No wonder Wuya looked so bored. Maybe they were more alike than she thought._

_**Maybe I should join them again ... that would liven things up. I'd love the chance to show up Jack again ...

* * *

**_

_Click, click, click ..._

Hmm ... what were they doing?

Katnappe and Kimiko hid behind a bookcase, in the Spicers' small library, watching as two different Huai-Ren, a bull-headed lizard and a dragon-like dog, knocked over a wooden cabinet, and clawed at the items inside.

"Shouldn't we be _running_ _away_?" Kimiko whispered, wondering why she'd listened to Katnappe when she'd suggested they follow these monsters to find out what they doing.

Katnappe tsked. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"This is STUPID."

"Oh I get it. You're scared of the little boogie monsters, are you?"

"Scared? I'm not scared!"

A little fly buzzed near them, and quietly transformed into the Chameleon-bot.

**"I don't mean to interrupt, but ... two of the anomalous creatures are phasing this way. You'll need to move, or else they will discover our location."**

They moved to stand behind a different bookcase, just as the Huai-Ren appeared through the wall. It was the same two Huai-Ren that Kimiko had seen before. But they continued on towards them, as if they knew their location anyway and were going to phase through the bookcase they were hiding behind.

"They're still coming!" Kimiko whispered, looking round the edge.

"What's going on? How do they know we're here?"

"I dunno, but get ready for a fight."

* * *

_Wait, wait, wait ... that's all she ever did. That boy was always so lax when it came to the Shen Gong Wu. He really needed to take things more seriously. Jack didn't know the first thing about being evil._

_After all, they had had the Star Hanabi in their possession, and were it not for the fact that he had stayed to gloat – again – they would have gotten away with it, too. On top of it all, he had lost another Xiaolin Showdown, forfeiting the Sword of the Storm as well. It was a miracle he hadn't lost the Orb of Tornami ..._

_But that had been over two weeks ago, and the waiting was killing them both. No new Shen Gong Wu had become active since that time, and they were both starting to grate on each others' nerves more than usual. For Wuya, it was most degrading and very frustrating, being nothing more than a ghost, unable to take part in anything, having to rely on such an incompetent ... child. That was normally the reason why she yelled at him all the time, although sometimes it was just because she felt like it._

_She floated through a wall, leaving behind a study room to enter a small library that she had been drawn to, for some reason. Jack had always told her not to wandering through the walls of his house, because his parents (or his mum, at least) would go mad if they saw a ghost. And she had to agree – she did NOT want to be found by that fool of a father. She'd only been through the house a few times, but usually she stayed within the confines of Jack's lab. But today – today had been it for Wuya._

_Jack had gone and tested his stupid force-field on her. What had surprised her was that it had actually **worked**. Then, he'd revealed a new section to his lab and locked himself in, declaring that he would finish his greatest invention yet. And Wuya had had enough of waiting, and of doing nothing, so she had left the lab._

_There was some kind of dinner party going on in the next room, which wasn't unusual. The Spicers liked pretending they were normal. But Wuya was keen to avoid all these people. She didn't want to cause a scene, because that might lead to awkward questions about Jack's lab ..._

_So she went down through the floor instead, finding herself in a bathroom of sorts, where an auburn-haired woman she didn't recognise was powdering her face up in front of a mirror, by a sink._

_The words were out before Wuya could stop herself._

_"You'll need more than make-up to smooth that face over, honey."_

_"What? Who said – "_

_Wuya appeared in the mirror just as the lady looked back in it._

_"Boo."_

_Not very original, but it did the trick._

_The woman started screaming and pointing, before quickly unlocking the door and screeching throughout the corridors. So much for not causing a scene ... Although, Wuya couldn't stop herself from chuckling, either._

_She hastily returned to Jack's lab, watching Ashley just as she went down the stairs. She followed her, waiting to see how close she would get to touching the force-field. As fun as it would be to watch Ashley get zapped ..._

_"I wouldn't go near that if I were you ..."_

_Ashley turned around. "Oh ... Bossy-much. I was wondering where you'd got to. Where's Jack?"_

_Wuya gestured to the force-field. Currently, it only worked down here, and only around stationary objects, but she had no doubt that he'd soon figure out a way to put one around the lab itself, too. "He's inside that force-field, working on something top secret."_

_Ashley looked like she was about to laugh. She started to walk back up the spiralling stairs. "Is that so?"_

_"He's MOST secretive about it too. He's not letting anyone see it."_

_Ashley picked up Jack's glowing ball, which was actually an expanding mass thing he had been working on. At least, that's what he'd told Wuya. It was probably closer to an exploding mass. How long would it take for Ashley to find that one out the hard way?_

_" 'S not like anyone else comes down here," Ashley said._

_"True, but ..." Wuya paused thoughtfully. "Even I do not know what he's doing."_

_"I'm sure he'll tell us what it is in his own time," Ashley said, and to Wuya's disappointment, she put the green ball back on the table. There wouldn't be an explosion this time. But then again, those sorts of things were always funnier when they happened to Jack, anyway. "You know Jack – always likes to brag about his inventions."_

_Ashley noticed the fridge. Jack had put that in two days ago, when he had first revealed hints about his top secret invention. Wuya had no idea how he had managed to get his hands on a fridge without his parents finding out, but there wasn't much she could do about it. _

_"I'm hungry. What's in the fridge?" Ashley rummaged through the food, and picked up one of Jack's pudding cups._

_"Don't eat that! Jack will throw a fit." And it was true. He couldn't work without pudding. Though he would never admit it to anyone else, he did have a sweet tooth._

_"Whatever ... I'll take it, so he knows I was here."_

_"He may not be out for a while ..." Which was good. Because the minute he realised his pudding was gone, he was going to yell. And Wuya would yell back._

_"Tell Jack I'm gonna mess up his room if he doesn't hurry."_

_**Jack's ... room?** "You shouldn't go in there. It's full of his stuff. And when I say his stuff, I mean HIS stuff." Wuya had seen the mind-boggling horror that was Jack's bedroom. The child was obsessed with himself. "It's ... disturbing."_

_"Just tell him."_

_"Fine ..." Wuya replied, feeling bored. And tired. Very tired. Ashley had probably come down to tease Jack, which Wuya usually encouraged. But today there was nothing new to tell her._

_She just about heard Ashley ask, "What's the buzz, then?"_

_"Huh? Oh, there hasn't been another Shen Gong Wu yet, child."_

_"What? That really stinks."_

_"Tell me about it."_

_"Well I'm outty. I'm gonna grab a proper bite to eat."_

_"You do that."_

_Ashley sighed as she walked up the stairs, and Wuya watched her leave. **Maybe I should ask her to join us again ... Katnappe would be a better choice than Jack anyway ...**_

_There was a noise, and a yell._

_A tiny voice squealed. "What is this place?"_

_Wuya stared. Now there was something you didn't see every day. A goblin. _

* * *

_Shit._

The dinosaur Huai-Ren had gone and smashed Jack's lightning gun, not about to fall for the same thing twice. Kimiko and the Chameleon-bot had succeeded in knocking the crocodile-headed one to the floor, but now they _would_ have to run away, because the noise had attracted the other Huai-Ren. One of them, the dragon-like dog, large as a rhino, but lean and quick as a greyhound, jumped and grabbed Kimiko's arm in its mouth. The bull headed lizard held a strange paw-like object in its talons. It ran head-down at the Chameleon-bot, which changed into a huge gorilla to absorb the blow with its metal body.

Meanwhile the dinosaur ran away from them and towards the fallen shelf, and picked up a strange medallion; the crocodile-headed one soon joined in, picking up a strange woolen jacket in its scythe-like claws, and Katnappe finally realised what it was that they had ...

But then she gasped as the dog-monster hurled Kimiko into a bookcase. She looked unconscious at first, but then she stirred, her limbs moving slightly. Katnappe could only watch as the Huai-Ren opened its mouth to paralyse her.

"No!"

* * *

__

Moan, moan, moan. That's all she ever did. That ghost was always so stressed when it came to the Shen Gong Wu. She really needed to relax and take things easily. What was the point of being evil if you weren't going to have fun doing it?

_Jack wasn't really concerned about the loss of the Star Hanabi, or the Sword of the Storm – but, unfortunately, Wuya was, and he'd gotten an earful of infuriated tirades when he'd got back home. He had ignored her, as he usually did – at least he had managed to keep the Orb of Tornami._

_But now Wuya wasn't coughing up any new Shen Gong Wu. It had been more than two weeks and still nothing, and the friction between them had steadily grown, until Jack couldn't stand it any more. For Jack, it was quite irritating, and very annoying, having some ghost woman constantly watching his back telling him what to do – and what NOT to do – yelling and ranting and raving at him all the time. He got the feeling that sometimes she yelled at him just for the hell of it._

_And so, he'd started working on his force-field, designed to keep everything out. He'd finally finished it today, and he'd tested on Wuya for two reasons. One: as sad as it seemed, he really didn't have anyone else he could ask. Two: she was ghostly, so if the force-field could keep her out, it could keep anything out. _

_He had activated it to go around his secret workshop (inside his secret lab) after telling Wuya to keep herself out of his way, and now he was continuing work on what he felt would be one of his greatest works yet. Not even Wuya knew about this, although keeping it from her all this time had required a miracle._

_It was something he had been working on even before he had met Wuya, but he had lost interest, because it took up too much of his time, and he had really wanted to focus on upgrading his robots. Now that he had made the upgrades, though, this project was much easier to work on, as they were better equipped to do some of the more complex things that his human hands couldn't. The Changing Chopsticks had been very useful, too. It was now in its final stages, and needed maybe one week to complete. And once ready, the Xiaolin warriors wouldn't know what hit them._

_It would make a nice change from some of his other ... disasters. Over the past weeks, he had invented some Expanding Mass, based along the same lines as his Glob Shooter, which was supposed to surround his enemies and disable them, but somewhere along the line he'd mangled up the formula, and the green substance had exploded in his face. Wuya, completely unaffected due to her ghostly status, had found it funny. He, on the other hand, hadn't._

_He had also made a Transmogrifying Ray, which was supposed to transform opponents into ordinary household objects. But instead of transforming things into stationary objects, it actually turned them into groteque living creatures. Wuya had been excited at the prospect of a monster making machine, wanting to create an army of monsters to attack the Xiaolin temple, until they realised that the monsters exploded upon immediate contact with anything else. Including the floor._

_His Mega Ray Cannon was looking promising, though. Lightning, fire and laser beams all in one. He hadn't shown Wuya that one, either, because by now she had learned not to rely on his inventions as a means to get at the Xiaolin temple, and she would only moan at him for building another "ridiculous contraption". But for now – his greatest invention would be what he would concentrating on in between Shen Gong Wu hunting and avoiding his parents social dos._

_Robots were everywhere around him, helping him in the construction. He was sure he could hear Katnappe's voice. Wuya had probably warned her about the force-field, which was disappointing – it would have been fun to have Ashley get zapped._

_Uh oh ... He was down to his last pudding cup ... Good thing he had one more in his fridge. He'd have to wait until Ashley left, though ..._

_Some time later, Jack chanced an appearance. He could hear voices upstairs, but he didn't recognise them ... maybe Ashley had brought – he shuddered – her friends? _

_But when he reached the top, there was no one there. Weird ... he could have sworn he'd heard voices. Still, there was always his pudding to take his mind off things._

_He opened the fridge._

_"WHO ATE THE LAST PUDDING CUP?" _

* * *

"No! Leave her alone!"

Through blurred vision, Kimiko saw Clay and Jack ram into the dog-monster with all their might, shoving it against the wall. She sighed. The boys had come to the rescue ... But what had surprised her most ... it had been Jack that had yelled. Jack quickly used a stag's horn to shoot at the fallen creature.

And then the dog disappeared in a flash of bluish smoke. The other three hissed. Dojo's eyes widened at the sight of the things in their hands – Shen Gong Wu!

"Those are Shen Gong Wu!" he yelled. "The Magic Magnet, the False Fleece ... the Wolf's Fang – "

"Jack!" Clay yelled. "Quick! Fire the Horn of Qilin, before they get away!"

But Jack looked shocked. He'd never known he had _other_ Shen Gong Wu in his own house ...

"JACK!"

"Er ...! Horn of Qilin!"

The dinosaur Huai Ren was destroyed, its Shen Gong Wu falling, but the other two got away with what looked like two or three Shen Gong Wu between them; Dojo wasn't sure.

Clay helped Kimiko sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think ..." The back of her head hurt, her Xiaolin robes were torn and her right arm was bleeding and had several teeth marks; and she was feeling a bit dizzy, but ... she would survive.

"Is that all of them?" Katnappe asked the Chameleon-bot. "Are they all gone?"

**"Yes. All the creatures have either been destroyed or have left."**

"Okay," Jack said, beginning to lose patience. "For the last time – WHAT'S GOING ON? What the hell are you all doing in my house?"

* * *

_Jack's Glob Shooter was in "Night of the Sapphire Dragon" (although I'm not too sure about the spelling)._


	8. and the dragon falls

**Uploaded: 13th October 2004

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: ... and the dragon falls ...**

Previously Wuya had thought that Raimundo had been easy to satisfy, but now she found that she had been hasty in that judgement. As soon as they had returned to her palace, Raimundo had slumped into a lying position on the large sofa, chucking the Serpent's Tail to the floor, the large frown on his face reflecting off the shiny World Cup. She stared at him with the mild, amused curiosity of a cat.

"You look ... displeased," she said, and, to his complete annoyance, he saw that she was _still_ smirking. She seemed ... eager, but it was a cool, _controlled_ eagerness. There was no denying that she was waiting for something to happen, but what that was ... nobody knew.

"Displeased?" he exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "Of course I'm displeased! You drag me half way round the world to get this Horn of Qilin thing, and in the end you don't even care that Jack's got it!"

"Well, you're the one who lost the showdown. But it doesn't matter that we lost this particular Shen Gong Wu."

"But I thought it could destroy your Huai-Ren."

"Yes," she nodded, "but I'm not worried about that." She turned to leave, waving a hand impatiently, a signal for him to leave her alone. "Now run along, child. I'm growing tired, and I have some things I must do before I retire for sleep."

Raimundo slowly walked to her, the anger plain to see on his face. "I'm not a _child_, Wuya."

This statement caused her smile to return, and she once again looked at him with that calm but expectant gaze. "Indeed ... but if you wish for people not to mistake you for one, then perhaps you should not act like one."

_What **is** she thinking about?_ Raimundo couldn't help but wonder, for the umpteenth time. _Why does she keep staring at me like that?_ He licked his lips, split and with dried blood.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" he said, then, his anger growing stronger. "Me getting angry over a tiny little thing, while you just stand there as if you know everything in the world."

Wuya said nothing, but continued to give him a cat-like stare, and Raimundo felt a deep rage inside of him welling up, waiting to be released. When he had been walking through those caverns, he had been having confused thoughts about his decision to leave the Xiaolin temple, but he had been willing to fight the others if he had to, especially Omi – his anger had always been directed at him more than Kimiko or Clay. But Omi had come by himself ... not primarily to fight, but to _apologise_, and that had mixed Raimundo up even more. He wasn't used to people apologising to him.

Omi had taken a big risk by coming all alone for the Horn of Qilin, knowing that Wuya – who had beforehand effortlessly fought the warriors – would also be there. If Omi was willing to try so hard to make amends, then that might have meant he had been willing to forgive him as well. And if that was the case ... maybe Kimiko, once she had cooled off for a bit – maybe _she_ would have forgiven him too?

Raimundo might have seriously considered forgetting about being on Wuya's side and just went off alone for a while if he had taken a minute to think about all that, but his stupid angry pride had pushed all those thoughts to one side, and he'd foolishly rushed to fight Omi, and now ...

Now Wuya was pissing him off, because she wasn't telling him _anything_. How on Earth could she expect him to do what she wanted if he didn't know what it was she was after? Just like in the cave, he could feel his anger clouding over his doubts, except this time it felt ten times worse. He didn't know why, but it was as if all the emotions he had been feeling recently had been mixed up all over his body and had intensified ten-fold; he felt like a can of fizzy drink that had survived a few rounds in a washing machine. All it would take for his anger to burst now was someone to open the can.

"You're just like everyone else," he said quickly, his words all spilling out at once – "always quick to assume the worst of me. Omi was always telling me how much more superior he was to me, and Master Fung never appreciated all the hard work I did ... He never even thanked me for saving him ... I thought you were different – but you're just like _them_ – you think I'm good for nothing and can't do anything myself – that I need nothing but help – "

"Did it ever occur to you that they might be right? That you really do require assistance but are just too stubborn to admit it?"

"I'm not USELESS!" he yelled, and before he could stop himself, he swung at her with his right fist. Wuya caught his fist in mid-motion with her left hand, and sharply pulled him up close, bending down slightly so that her face was mere inches from his own.

"I never said you were, _child_," she said softly, her golden tiger clawed hand crackling with sparkling energy; her body rigid with superiority; suddenly he could feel an immense power – her _presence_ – radiating from her body – and at that point Raimundo knew he was in BIG trouble.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood right now, Raimundo," she said quietly, still smiling, but her voice as chilly and as dangerous as a harsh Arctic blizzard. Raimundo shuddered involuntarily, a sweaty fever of fear running right through his body. "Because ... I have killed for less. Far, _far_ _less_."

She continued to observe him, taking in the terrified, shaky look on his face. And then she pulled him up even closer, and whispered in his ear, "Am I _scaring_ you, Dragon of Air?"

He swallowed hard and nodded slowly, trying desperately to get away, looking like a frightened animal caught in a hunter's trap, but her grip on his hand was too strong. She started to draw two symbols over his forehead with her right hand, a criss-cross of lines that he couldn't see; but he could already feel the heat from the writing seeping down, through his head, spreading throughout his entire body.

_She's going to kill me, anyway,_ Raimundo thought in a rush of panic. _She's gonna do away with me,_ _just like Omi said_ – _she doesn't need me any more – she's going to kill me slowly, and painfully, and she's going to **enjoy** doing it – _

But then she relaxed, and released the tight grip on his hand. He backed away slowly. She still watched him closely. And then Raimundo could feel the effect of the magic – whatever it was she'd done, it had healed his bloodied lip, and he could no longer feel any of the bruises he had sustained from his fight with Omi.

What he _could_ feel now was confusion, again, and _fear_. A great deal of fear. He had tried to attack _Wuya_ ... What on earth had possessed him to do such a thing? He hated being called a failure more than anything else, but whatever issues he had with his past, he shouldn't have been taking it out on Wuya, of all people.

He looked down at the ground. "I ... don't know what came over me," he said, his voice barely higher than a whisper. He really didn't know what else to say. Why the hell was he feeling so moody all of a sudden?

Wuya had to resist the urge to chuckle, because she knew _exactly_ what was wrong with him. His emotions were being thrown all over the place because he had been hit by the darkened beam ...

The Horn of Qilin was best described as the antipode-causing Shen Gong Wu that worked in one direction – for the side of Light. It was of the Water element, and so it worked best on water. But its uses weren't limited to purifying water; its effects changed depending on what it was used on. It could rekindle a failing fire, revive a dying forest; bring light to a place of darkness. It could even calm a raging storm if used correctly. On a human's heart, it worked by intensifying positive feelings, such as hope and love, and burying the bad.

But the opposite was true when the Reversing Mirror was used; and Raimundo's feelings were being twisted, his dark emotions strengthening while his positive ones slowly being suppressed. Like a drop of coloured dye dropped into a glass of water that would slowly but surely change colour, Raimundo's feelings were gradually darkening.

What a stroke of luck it had been that the Horn of Qilin had been the first Shen Gong Wu to activate when she had regained her human form ... Jack had taken the bait – he'd used the Horn just like she knew he would. And now Raimundo would be so _easy_ for her to manipulate ... His defences would be lowered drastically as his elemental alignment shifted, teetering over the edge, that fragile balance between Light and Dark ... and with the Yinying spell she would give his alignment a forceful push over that edge, into the abyss of evil ...

She was both pleased and amused with the way the Horn was affecting him, but at the same time, it was progressing much faster than she had thought it would. It would be better to take things into her own hands very soon indeed, because she had the feeling that Raimundo was having doubts. He may have been full of dark emotions, angry with his former comrades now, but blind pride would only take him so far. She was quite sure that, deep down, in his heart of hearts, Raimundo didn't really have what it took to be _truly_ evil. And since the Horn of Qilin's magic only amplified feelings that were already there ... she would need to interfere with the Yinying spell soon, sooner than she had planned. Tomorrow, perhaps?

She looked at him again, and he remained submissively silent. Maybe she had gone a bit too far, but she revelled in causing fear and terror in others, and old habits died hard. She hadn't meant to scare him that much; she'd just wanted to let him know who was in charge. Fear could be a powerful negative emotion too, and the last thing she wanted was to scare him off before she could carry out the Yinying spell she'd planned. Without the Sun Chi Lantern, she would still need him in order to perform the Xiqu (absorb) spell at the Wind Temple, and that was assuming she could find the Wind Temple.

So, at great length, she let her expression become more serious. "Look," she said in a much warmer voice, trying hard to sound apologetic, "I really don't know what you want from me any more. And frankly, I don't care. As long as you don't try to stop me, or get in my way, you may do as you wish. Just – try to refrain from _attacking_ me. Surely you must be aware that I do not show a great deal of patience towards those who displease _me_."

He heaved a quiet sigh. "What I want ..." he whispered, more to himself. "I ... shouldn't have lost the showdown. Even if Jack had his inventions, I shouldn't have lost. I've been training for so long, but it feels like I've accomplished nothing. I'm not sure what I want any more, either ..."

Raimundo was showing great signs of confusion and regret now. The Horn of Qilin had magnified this, and she frowned at him. She had been right after all. Obviously he had not been as fully committed to joining her as he'd let on. She'd offered him anything he wanted, but he was still not happy. And she didn't want him trying to escape before tomorrow.

_What does he **really** want?_ she wondered. _What is it he's **really** after?_ There was a way to find out. Raimundo was untrained, really; and also, because of the Horn's magic she would easily be able to enter his mind, even though she was now in her physical form.

She smiled, as she suddenly thought of a way she could keep him from escaping. The Yizhi (Will Control) spell ...Not a spell she had performed often in the past, due to its very low success rate ... but with the Horn affecting him so drastically ... it might actually work on him.

And then, she made a decision. She was tired, and both her moshu energy _and_ her chi energy were depleted, but nonetheless, she would carry out the Yinying spell on him right now.

She approached him slowly, with a kind of predatory gaze on her face, and he looked up at her apprehensively. She was giving _him_ the cat-ate-canary look this time, and it was giving him the creeps, even more than the Huai-Ren had.

_What does she **really** want?_ he wondered nervously. _What is it she's **really** after?_ _And ... what have I gotten myself into?_ He was beginning to wish he'd just let her leave the room and go off to do whatever it was she had been going to do ...

"Keep still," she ordered as she stood beside him, taking his chin in her hand. Raimundo was forced to stare through fire, into endlessly dark eyes. He tried to look away, but he just could _not_ – her eyes held nothing but an ancient darkness, and had the hypnotic, pulling effect of a black hole.

At first he could see nothing but a bleak blackness, but then he could feel her strong, powerful presence again, this time piercing through his thoughts. It was a fierce torrent of purple, her pure will forcing its way into his mind ... He could see the _yi_ character ... the character meaning idea, or intention ...

And then, all at once –

– a wild blur of memories –

_"You'll never be as good as me. You might as well crawl back to the dirty little hovel of a shoebox you called home –"_

_zhi ... the character meaning aspiration or ambition ..._

_"I knew your frustration would lead to your own defeat –"_

– a cacophony of voices –

_"**I** thought you were brave, Raimundo ... Most people would have run from Mala Mala Jong ..."_

_yi ... the character with the meaning of restraint ..._

_"Never forget who you are ..."_

– a muddled scramble of events –

_"We think you should train at the Xiaolin temple –"_

_zhi ... the character meaning to control or overpower ..._

_"You need to get your head out of the clouds and into the real world, Raimundo!"_

And then –

It all stopped; he was back in Wuya's palace once more; she had stopped, and had released him.

She was frowning at him. "Not having any regrets, are you?"

He stepped backwards, blinking at the question, still shaking off what he had seen. Wuya sounded just a _tiny_ bit angry now, but he wasn't sure exactly what she meant, since he had been regretting a lot of things in the past week or so. And she knew this, because she'd just read his mind again. A rhetorical question, then? More like a trick question ...

What Raimundo _didn't_ know was that she had done more than read his mind this time.

She started glowing with a pinkish purple aura, which, in a strange way, reminded him of the way she'd looked when she'd been a ghost. There was that same presence, except this time he could see it clearly now, as well as feel it.

"No matter," she said to him, taking one step towards him, now smiling widely because she knew that the Yizhi spell had worked; and the cruel grin on her face caused him to shiver. "You, Dragon of Air, are about to have a taste of true evil ..."

Raimundo was now wishing he hadn't been such an idiot and given Wuya the Golden Tiger Claws.

He tried to run, as she knew he would once she had revealed her true intentions. She calmly fired a purple stream of energy straight into his chest, in the same place where he had been struck by the Horn of Qilin. He immediately froze; but the Yizhi spell was very different to the Ting spell. Instead of being completely frozen, only his body had been paralysed, and it was not a complete paralysis, either. His arms and legs just dropped, feeling ... heavy, all of a sudden, as if he no longer had the power – or will – to move them. She had obviously done something to his free will whilst reading his mind, which she had now triggered off by shooting that beam at him.

She gave him a "you can't leave _now_" look, holding her hand slightly above his forehead, and waiting until he glowed a vibrant green colour before removing it. He tried to move again, struggling against the spell's hold on his body. It was a half-hearted struggle, though. A tiny, but growing, part of him, which had never been there before, told him that he was hers to manipulate – that he was, in fact, _hers_. She _really_ must have done something to mess up his mind, but ... he didn't find that as disturbing as he did a minute ago ...

And, without a will of their own, his jaws opened. Wuya sharply sliced the air in front of him open with one finger, drawing the characters _yin_ and _ying_ in front of the black hole that appeared. He stood impassively as a conical wavering of whispering shadows emerged from the hole, pouring inside his open mouth, filling his throat. He was only vaguely concerned about Wuya's sinister cackling while he was forced to swallow darkness ... It felt cold and empty, a bitter, icy wind that dug its talons, _tearing_ its way into his very soul, embedding itself in his heart, his core, his lifeforce – and he screamed.

Or he tried to scream, but his mouth was so full of evil that he found he couldn't. So it came out as a muffled, but terrified, whimper.

"Re-lax ..." she commanded in a strangely pleasant voice.

And Raimundo relaxed. He felt ... sleepy, and no longer felt like putting up _any_ resistance ... his eyelids fell ...

Wuya caught him in her arms as he lost consciousness, smirking broadly as the lights from both their auras died away.

_Sleep, child. For when you awaken, you will be completely mine ..._

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**_Notes:_**

**_moshu – _**_magic_

_**yinying** – shadow_

_**xiqu – **to absorb or assimilate_

_**yizhi **can mean (amongst other things)_

_1 – will/determination (noun)_

_2 – to control, inhibit, suppress (verb)_

_3 – to cure/heal (verb)_

_Depends on what characters and intonations are used. The Yizhi spell that Wuya did on Raimundo allowed her to control his will. Yi and zhi were also the healing characters that Wuya wrote on Rai's forehead, the ones he couldn't see._


	9. The House that Jack built

**Uploaded: 13th October 2004**

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**Chapter 9: The House that Jack built**

Once a little argument over the Orb of Tornami had been settled (both Katnappe and Kimiko - with one good arm - had held Jack down, and Clay had threatened to knock the living daylights out of Jack if he didn't return it), Katnappe had left with the Chameleon-bot to look for her missing kitten, and Clay and Dojo had gone with the Eye of Dashi and Jack's remaining robots to bring Jack and Ashley's parents to the lab. That left Kimiko and Jack; and Jack had surprised Kimiko by taking her to the bathroom and fixing up her arm with bandages for her. They were back inside the library, now mulling over the discovery of the new Shen Gong Wu.

The Stallion Medallion, a silver medal with a picture of a horse's head on it; it allowed you to switch Shen Gong Wu with someone.

The Wolf's Fang, a small white tooth with odd, red, rectangular markings; it gave one the ability to transform into a were-animal.

The Feather of Feng Huang, a red feather with a yellow rim; with this, one could levitate objects.

The Vial of Light, a tiny see-through bottle with a clear liquid inside that could heal any physical injury.

They were all inactive, but they were all Shen Gong Wu, which Jack had never known his father had owned. Dojo had also seen the False Fleece, which allowed one to create illusions, and the Magic Magnet, which gave one the ability to guide the direction of magic spells, but Wuya had those ones now. Whether the Huai-Ren had taken any other Shen Gong Wu, Dojo wasn't sure, but they would have to be _very_ careful, if she had the False Fleece.

Kimiko watched as Jack searched the overturned shelf, which had been the only part that the Huai-Ren had messed up, strangely enough; the rest of the library had been left intact.

"Are there any more of them?" Kimiko asked, hoping that the Puzzle of Gui Xian had not been stored here previously, and then been stolen by the Huai-Ren.

Jack was crouched down, with his back to her. "No, but ... I did find this ..." He held up a small book, which looked old and tattered in places. "My father's notes."

Kimiko was about to ask what was in the book, but Jack suddenly stood up, turned around and started walking away, not looking like he really wanted to talk about it.

"C'mon, let's go," he said. "I'm sure you're anxious to see Opie."

"OMI."

"Whatever."

They reached the door to his lab, where Jack flicked his wrist-watch, disabling the blue force-field that surrounded it. He placed the Horn of Qilin on the ground outside the door. Dojo had been adamant that they leave it outside the lab, but he hadn't told them why. He had seemed worried, though, and Jack and Kimiko had a suspicion that it was something to do with another Shen Gong Wu side-effect.

"It's a good thing I managed to get the force-field up and running this morning," he said to her, a little quirky smile on his face. "And Wuya told me it wouldn't work out here!" He posed dramatically. "Ha, to _her_!"

"Are all your Shen Gong Wu in there?"

"Yep. Well, except the Mantis Flip Coin."

They walked inside. The inside of Jackster's lab was just as Kimiko remembered it – dark, creepy and full of evil genius paraphernalia. But she looked beyond all that, as there was one person she noticed straight away. She gasped, and ran to Omi, bending down to give him a little hug.

"Omi ..."

She knew from Dojo that there was a way to heal this, but she couldn't help feeling worried all the same. He had promised her he would be careful before he'd left for the Horn of Qilin ... what _was_ it he had been so determined to do, all by himself? And what if he'd been killed? She would have been devastated if anything like that had happened to the little guy ... Like the other two dragons-in-training, Kimiko had found Omi a bit overbearing when they had first met, but his sweet innocence and mile-a-minute questions had eventually won her over. Although he was an excellent fighter, all his years at the Xiaolin temple meant he had known hardly anything about the outside world, and they had both taught each other many things during the last few months.

"We'll get you healed soon ..." she told him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "I promise ..."

Jack pouted, as he went to a shelf where all his Shen Gong Wu were kept. Did _he_ have to get frozen before she'd give him that kind of attention? Well, it didn't matter anyway. At the moment, he needed to focus on a way to get rid of Wuya so things could go back to the way they were before this whole mess started.

He picked up his Shen Gong Wu, and placed them on the long table in the centre of his lab. The Changing Chopsticks, the Tangle Web Comb, the Ring of the Nine Dragons and the Falcon's Eye ... He added the Mantis Flip Coin, and the Lotus Twister that he'd won in the showdown against Raimundo, and then the new inactive ones ... the Stallion Medallion, the Wolf's Fang, the Feather of Feng Huang and the Vial of Light.

He sighed and flicked through his father's book, stopping on a picture of the puzzle-box. He remembered his father had asked him if he had been able to open it ... He had lied, of course, saying that he'd kept the box all the same, but he couldn't get his father's disappointed look out of his head now. Had his dad known about Wuya? Is that why he'd sent him the puzzle-box? And, if so, why would he do such a thing?

"I'm sorry about Omi," he said, putting the book down on the table.

Kimiko stood up, turning around to look at him. "Why?"

"... Seems like such a waste. Omi's the kind of guy who wouldn't go down without a fight, so Wuya had to resort to taking him by surprise. Happened before I got there, but your little lizard friend was telling me and Clay about it."

"Okay," said Kimiko, going right up to him and pointing in his face, "who are you and what have you done with the _real_ Jack Spicer?"

"In case you forgot, Wuya's gone and frozen my parents. They never even did anything to her. They've got nothing to do with this."

_At least, I **thought** they didn't ..._

Kimiko was surprised. Maybe Jack wasn't as heartless as he always made himself out to be. She watched him frowning down at his father's book.

"Jack ... you ..."

"Hmm?"

"You ran at that monster ... You were worried about me?"

"No big deal. Why?" And then he grinned. "Were you impressed by my _bravery_?"

Kimiko let out a frustrated sigh. No rest for the wicked.

"Bet you were and you just don't wanna admit it."

"You _wish_!"

_Looks like Jack's back to his old self already._

"What were you doing here, anyway?" He pulled the straps of his goggles, still grinning cheekily at her. "Couldn't get enough of yours truly?"

"Oh, get over yourself, Jack. I came here to get the puzzle-box."

"Ha to you too, then! You'd never have been able to get past my force-field."

"Yeah, well, I know that now."

"Tell you what," he said, a mischievous little glint in his red little eyes, "I'll give it to you, but you have to promise to go out on a date with me."

Kimiko was sure that, at that moment, she could hear three sets of sniggers coming from the door.

"Are you guys listening in to our conversation?"

The door opened and Katnappe came in, holding her kitten; Dojo was riding Clay's back; they were followed by Jack's robots carrying four sets of statues; and the Chameleon-bot (which had assumed the form of a brown-haired teenaged girl in a light blue T-shirt and jeans) brought up the rear.

Clay smiled guiltily at Kimiko, and Dojo was still sniggering, both remembering the conversation they'd had about the Puzzle prior to the Horn of Qilin's activation.

Katnappe said, "No way in hell would she go out with a dork like you."

"Hey, can't blame a guy for trying."

"In case _you_ forgot," Kimiko told Jack, her fiery anger flaring up, "Wuya's turned the whole world to darkness, every tree on Earth is wasted away, and nothing electrical works! Where the hell would we _go_?"

Katnappe frowned sharply. It was Wuya's fault the sky outside was so dark? How had she managed to do that? Ashley herself had only visited the Spicers' house a week ago; she'd won her showdown against Kimiko and captured her, acting upon Wuya's instructions, although Omi had later come to rescue Kim and the other dragons. But Ashley hadn't been to Jack's house since. What had happened here in the last week?

"Oh, come _on_," said Jack, "there must be _somewhere_ on Earth that's still okay."

"There is, actually," said Dojo, who had slithered to the floor, and everyone's head turned down towards him. "Well there is! There's quite a few places protected against Darkness."

Jack gave Kimiko a "there – see?" look, and she pouted in response.

Katnappe looked down at the unconscious kitten in her hands. It was a regular kitten, not one of her genetically modified ones, and it hadn't deserved to be in any of this. She walked over to the table and sat down, making herself comfortable in Jack's "evil" chair.

"What do you think you're doing?" snapped Jack, who didn't give a monkey's ass about Katnappe's kittens. "Get out of my chair, Ash-ley!"

"_Make_ me, robo-freak."

"Be happy to!"

"Enough with the arguing!" Dojo exclaimed.

Jack pouted sullenly. "But that's _my_ chair ..."

The look on everyone else's faces was a universal "no-one cares".

Katnappe frowned again. "I'm going to make those monster things pay for this," she said, looking at her kitten in her lap.

"Well, Wuya sent them, so you should take it up with her," said Dojo. "But I wouldn't recommend it."

"What?" She turned round in the chair to face Jack. "Oh, so you _are_ behind all this, are you? Getting back at me for eating your pudding?"

The boy genius looked positively outraged. "Don't go pointing the finger at ME! This has got nothing to do with me! Why the hell would I paralyse my own parents?"

"I thought you were s'posed to be _evil_, Jack," Clay pointed out, voice calm as a summer breeze.

"I AM! But I wouldn't trash my own house just to prove a point. Even _I'm_ not that obsessive."

"Er – excuse _me_?" Kimiko snapped at him, giving him an incredulous look. "You sure about that? I mean, you did, somehow, find out my number, send me a text, got that robot to replace _me_ and no one else; you locked me up in a birdcage and _hit_ on me – "

"And what about those robots you're always workin' on, Jack?" Clay put in. "Talk about over the top ..."

Katnappe ticked off on her fingers: "And then there's that signed autograph of yourself in your room, not to mention posters of you, calendar – of you, cute plushies of you, carpet with you – you've even got Jack Spicer underwear, for crying out loud."

"Why is everyone picking on _m_e? This is all Wuya's fault! Go tell _her _off, if you dare!"

"_No_, Jack," said Katnappe, "this is _your_ fault, for opening that stupid puzzle-box! That stupid ghost's more trouble than she's worth."

"Get with the times, Ash-ley," Jack said scornfully, eager to get her back for revealing the contents of his room to the Xiaolin show-offs. And for the pudding. "Wuya's not a ghost any more. She's been brought back to life."

This took Katnappe by surprise. Somehow, throughout their little escapades through Jack's house, Kimiko had neglected to mention that little detail to her. "What? And how'd _that_ happen?"

"Dunno, actually," Jack was forced to admit. He turned to the two Xiaolin warriors. "You guys never told me. How _did_ she get her body back?"

Clay and Kimiko both looked at the ground, scowling deeply.

"Oh I get it," Jack grinned, always happy at the chance to have a dig at the Xiaolin warriors, " – it was Raimundo, wasn't it?"

"The Wind guy?" Katnappe asked, getting more confused by the minute. "But I thought he was on _their_ side?"

"He, er, defected," Jack said.

"_Defected_? And _he_ brought Wuya to life?"

"Guess so," said Jack when neither Kimiko nor Clay responded. Dojo said, "It was this morning ...We were there when it happened. We tried to stop them, but ... we failed."

"Stupid idiot. _Why_ on earth did he go and do that for? Wuya was annoying enough when she was a ghost, but now she's back to life she'll be ten times more likely to get on my nerves – and that isn't because she's a witch, either. She's just so _bossy_."

Jack nodded in an odd moment of complete agreement, remembering that he'd thought exactly the same thing about Wuya.

"I've a feeling he did it to get back at us," Kimiko said bitterly. Raimundo's betrayal had hit her hard, and had affected her much more than Clay and Omi. Much more than she was willing to admit, anyway.

"You guys _fell_ _out_," snorted Katnappe. "Oh, this just keeps getting better."

"But how did Raimundo do it?" Jack wanted to know. Despite the fact that he would never go back to Wuya now, he couldn't help feeling that the whole Shen Gong Wu hunt would have been a heck of a lot easier for him if Wuya had been solid to begin with.

"The Reversing Mirror and the Serpent's Tail," said Dojo.

"Reversing Mirror?" Katnappe repeated. "And the Serpent's Tail?"

"I never _did_ find out what that mirror did," Jack added. "How does it work?"

"When used on another Shen Gong Wu, the Reversing Mirror reverses the effect of that Shen Gong Wu," Clay explained.

"The Jet Bootsu would be like magnetic boots on a metallic surface – always sticking to the ground," said Kimiko. "And instead of making you invisible, the Shroud of Shadows would make you stick out like some kind of neon light."

Jack looked at his Changing Chopsticks. "So ... if I used it with these, I'd get really big instead?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Clay, and Dojo nodded, while Jack continued the current line of thought.

"And normally the Serpent's Tail makes you transparent, but if reversed – oh, it would make you solid. I see. So that's how Wuya did it."

"And where were you, Jack, when this happened?" Katnappe asked.

"Here, I s'pose, if it happened this morning."

"And why was Wuya with Raimundo instead of you, Jack?"

This time Jack looked down towards the ground with a frown, and Katnappe couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, so _you_ _two_ fell out, as well? And now everyone's switched sides?"

"Not _us_," said Kimiko, once again becoming indignant at Katnappe's flippant remarks. Or maybe it was just that laugh. "We've always been the good guys."

"Hey!" said Jack, also realising what Katnappe had said. _He_ hadn't switched sides either. "There's no way I'm teaming up with a bunch of losers like you."

"Well, if we're all against Wuya, we _should_ be on the same side," said Dojo thoughtfully.

"Ha! I'm not afraid to be by myself. Unlike _you_ loser-freaks, _I'm_ not scared of Wuya."

"Well, you should be!" snapped Dojo. Didn't Jack realise how serious this whole thing really was?

"I got the Horn of Qilin from her," Jack said haughtily, starting to strut around the lab in a pretentious manner. (Katnappe muttered, "Bonehead.") "You were there," he told Dojo. "In fact, I _saved_ you. Admit it, I was _cool_. And what does _that_ say about Little Miss Bossy?"

"It says that you were really lucky, Jack," said Dojo, shaking his head, his tone still angry. Jack's shameless arrogance was going to get him killed. "I don't think Wuya is at full power, yet."

"WHAT?" Kimiko exploded. This was news to _her_ ears. "Not at full power? And why didn't you tell us this before?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up. I mean, even without all her powers, she's still extremely dangerous."

"But why do you think she's not got all her powers back?" Katnappe asked.

"Because ... We were lucky to escape her. We got caught, Omi and I, but Jack came in and saved us in the nick of time. And then she was acting weird with Jack ... she didn't use her powers."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Jack demanded. "Wuya stole the Horn of Qilin from _me_, and went and knocked me out! What the hell were all those death balls about?"

"That was her using dark magic; but that's not what I meant. She didn't use her chi energy in the way she normally would have. In fact, she didn't use her chi at all."

"I don't believe this," said Kimiko, also now shaking her head. "Do you mean to tell me that we fought Wuya, and LOST, and she wasn't even using her full powers against us?"

There was another Jack grin. "Ha, you guys are even bigger losers than I thought. _I_ won against her."

"Not all of us have fancy gadgets like you, Jack," Dojo countered. "Besides, she wasn't being serious with you, you know. She _let_ you keep the Horn. It looked like she _wanted_ you to use it, which is very unlike her. I thought she was just going to take it from you. It's not like her to fool around."

Everyone watched as Jack thought for a moment. He remembered how indifferent Wuya had been about the Horn of Qilin, and ... Dojo was right. That _had_ been odd, because usually she was so crazed with obtaining Shen Gong Wu. She'd hardly ever talked about anything else while she'd been at his house. And, now that he thought about it, he remembered that he'd thought the same thing, too, about Wuya wanting _him_ to use the Horn. She also hadn't even been angry when Raimundo had lost the showdown – which Jack found unfair. Every time he'd lost a showdown, he'd got shouted at for it. And she'd only been a ghost!

He glanced at his dad. His father must have known about the Shen Gong Wu, too ... and the only way to find out more was to join the Xiaolin warriors. Dojo had mentioned that there was a way to heal this ...

"Fine ... I'll tag along with you losers for now. But only because _I_ intend to rule the world. I'm not gonna let Wuya rain on my parade."

Clay adjusted his hat. "Well, how long till Wuya's back to what ya call normal, Dojo?"

"Well, **_I_** don't _know_ ... It's not like this has ever happened before."

"Are you gonna tell us why you wanted us to leave the Horn of Qilin outside?" Kimiko asked.

"Yeah," added Jack, sounding sulky now that his victory over Wuya had been deflated somewhat, "is there something _else_ we should know?"

"The Horn of Qilin is always active, even when it's inactive."

"So what? That's pretty much what Wuya told me," Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, but what she didn't tell you was that she can sense its location all the time."

"Meaning?"

Dojo sighed. "Meaning, she can use it to spy on you and use magic to attack you at any time."

"WHAT?"

"And now you see why she didn't mind that Raimundo lost the showdown," said Dojo.

"But why did you want _us_ to get it, then, Dojo?" Kimiko asked.

"Because, as bad as it is having the Horn of Qilin with you, it's even worse if Wuya has it, because she's got the Reversing Mirror."

"Talk about your cursed Shen Gong Wu," said Katnappe. "Wuya would have won either way."

"That old hag is seriously starting to get on my _nerves_," Jack hissed, now angry because he knew exactly why Wuya had been playing around with him.

"So what now?" Katnappe said, looking fed up as she stood up out of Jack's chair. "Are we just gonna stand around here talking all day, waiting for Bossy-much to attack us, or what?"

"Oh yeah," said Kimiko, remembering why she'd come to Jack's house, "the Puzzle of Gui Xian. You said you've still got it, didn't you Jack?"

"What ...? Wait, don't tell me the puzzle-box is a Shen Gong Wu, as well ..."

"Sure is," said Clay.

"Wuya never told me ..."

"Maybe she was afraid you'd trap her in it again if you figured out how to use it," Kimiko said.

"Yeah, we reckon our best chance is to trap her inside it again," Clay said.

"But what if some other moron opens it in fifteen hundred years time?" Katnappe interjected.

"Shut up, Ashley," Jack said brusquely, walking to another shelf. He picked up the yellow and brown box, looking at its strange markings for all of ten seconds, before turning around to face the others.

"You want _me_ to just _give_ this to you ...? I don't think so. I think I'm gonna keep it."

"Why?" Kimiko asked. "You were gonna give it in exchange for a date."

"Well, I've changed my mind."

Clay sighed. "How 'bout we give you the Orb of Tornami in exchange? Fair's fair."

"No deal."

"Don't be such an idiot, Jack," said Katnappe, looking as if she asking for the impossible.

Jack didn't even bother replying to this one. "... I'll give it to you for the Orb, then, but you gotta unfreeze my parents, too. My dad gave this to me ... and I wanna find out why ..."

"We were gonna do that anyway," said Kimiko. "We're the good guys, remember?"

"Let's get going, then," said Katnappe somewhat bossily, "because the sooner we trap that witch inside the puzzle-box, the sooner things can get back to normal." Not that she wanted things to be boring again, but ... frozen parents and kittens were a bit too much. Actually, deep down, Katnappe was feeling quite alive with the buzz for adventure, so once her parents and kittens were restored, she was going to leave the Xiaolin dorks and see for herself what was going on in the world. She was just itching to leave Jack's lab.

"Where can we get them unfrozen?" she asked Dojo.

"I'm not sure, but I'll take you to someone who'll be able to help. He's guardian of a village called Ping-jing, which is heavily protected from Darkness."

Dojo frowned then; Ping-jing was that one place he'd sworn he would never return to ... But he had to brush his own feelings aside. Because right now, Omi needed his help.

"We'll be safe from Wuya there, even _with_ the Horn of Qilin."

"But – Ping-jing," said Kimiko suddenly, as she realised something. "That's ..."

"Yeah," said Dojo, nodding. "Omi's hometown."


	10. Downward Spiral

**Uploaded: 30th November 2004**

**

* * *

****Chapter 10: Downward Spiral**

The skies were dark – _always_ dark – but Dojo could always find his bearings no matter how treacherous the conditions were, another of the reasons why he had been so helpful to Dashi and SilverClaw. Clay and Kimiko rode on his back, with Clay making sure that Omi wouldn't fall.

Jack flew beside Dojo, driving a larger version of his jet-car (roughly the size of a small plane), with Katnappe sitting beside him in the front, and both sets of parents in the back. Jack had given Kimiko a radio, and Dojo he had given an ear-piece meant for one of his larger robots. The broadcast worked within a five-mile radius, so they would be able to keep in contact if they were separated for any reason. Kimiko and Katnappe had both wondered how Jack's stuff worked when everything else didn't, but there hadn't been time for any more talking before they left. They had decided to stock up on more supplies, which were also inside Jack's plane, and had left …

Jack had secretly been reluctant to leave his home in such a state but there had been no time to fix anything up either. He had very nearly finished his master invention, but he'd needed to leave that behind as well. He had brought his most useful and valuable tools and parts, though, so he could work on upgrading his robots at the Ping-jing village. He would return to his house in full force, and then … Wuya would be in for a big surprise.

* * *

A magical globe floated in mid-air, eerily illuminating the otherwise darkened room, a twirling sphere of lit-up landmasses and dark blue seas. The figure behind watched impatiently as the globe turned, the soft glow from the magical representation of Earth making the dark lines on her face visible.

Wuya took a furious step forward, fists clenched tightly. Where was she? That miserable SilverClaw, one of the Shoka, and responsible for the map that showed where the Elemental temples were … Wuya desperately wanted to find out where those temples were, to absorb the essences of the elements and tilt the world towards eternal darkness.

She had already absorbed the essence of Lightning and of Wood. On a normal day, she would have been able to cover the planet with tremendous thunderstorms, or summon entire forests to _anywhere_ she wanted … but her chi was out of balance with her jing (essence). For some reason, she was finding it very difficult to access her own jing, as well as the xing xing jing (planet essence), and her chi had been severely depleted after being trapped for all those years within the puzzle-box … She had been forced to use her moshu reserves, and even that had not been a lot.

She sighed. Until she regained her strength, there was no point in going after the temples, really. She could take over the world even without their elemental might behind her. After all, there was always the Shen Gong Wu.

Because of the way the Shen Gong Wu were connected with the Elements, and the temples, they too shared a part in maintaining the balance. If she managed to gain possession of them all, then she could also use _them_ as a means to cover the world in a spell of darkness … and that was why she wanted them so much.

There was a knock on the golden door, and a stone lion with a curled mane, one of Wuya's palace guardians, entered and walked in, its head bowed.

"What is it?" Wuya's tone was harsh, irritable, and had the impending doom of a looming storm.

"Forgive the intrusion, great Sorceress, but the Dragon of Wind requests an audience …"

"Send him in."

Raimundo came inside, walking slowly, keeping his eyes to the floor. He knelt down before her.

She smirked down at the boy, taking cruel pleasure in the fact that she'd _turned_ one of the Chosen Ones. It had taken the combined magic from three separate spells to do so, but the Dragon of Air was _hers_. A couple of hours had passed since she had placed both spells, and as that time passed, Raimundo had slowly been turned into her own personal servant, whilst at the same time his chi was becoming more and more of the _yin_ alignment ...

The Yizhi spell had utterly suppressed his own will. He completely believed that he was her slave, that his sole purpose in life was to serve her. The Reversed Horn of Qilin magic had shifted his elemental position from Light to Dark. And as for the Yinying spell … that spell had inserted a piece of evil inside his heart, and working together with the Horn … well, whatever positive feelings he had for his former friends were now completely eradicated.

"Rise, child, and tell me what's bothering you."

Raimundo stood up, and then frowned at her. "I wanna know what you're doing."

"Do you, now?"

"Yeah," he said, still frowning slightly. But only slightly. "I'm curious, your Greatness. You've told me hardly anything about how you plan to conquer the world …"

Wuya chuckled. In some ways, he was still the same. But unlike the other two pieces of magic, the Yizhi spell did not change a person's disposition; and now that the Horn's magic had run its full course, Raimundo was no longer temperamental, back to his lively but lazy self – except that he was no longer on the side of Light. So, despite wanting to fulfil her every whim, he still had a spark of defiance left within him. That would keep things interesting …

"Bold one, aren't you? What I do is none of your business."

"How am I supposed to serve you if I don't know what you want of me?"

"Very well," she said, eyes still lit up with amusement, "I'll tell you. I'm looking for someone called SilverClaw. Are you familiar with the name?"

Raimundo tilted his head sideways in thought. The name did ring a bell; he remembered reading about someone with a similar namewhile studying the Shen Gong Wu scroll after his defeat by Tubbimura. "Um … didn't she make a special map, or something?"

"Correct. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Not much … She travelled with Grand Master Dashi, making notes on all the Shen Gong Wu they found. But, that's all I know …"

"Hmm … I thought as such."

"But wasn't that fifteen hundred years ago? How can she still be alive after all this time?"

"She is a Shoka … and the Shoka were long ago gifted with the Peaches of Immortality, even though they also possess the ability to use magic. Their kind … they have a long life-span."

"Is that why you're looking for her? To get one of those peaches?"

She scoffed coldly. "If I succeed in my plans, I will not _need_ them …"

"Have the Huai-Ren come back from Jack's house yet?"

Raimundo's question was answered as a couple of the creatures phased into the room.

Wuya conjured a wooden table with another wave of her hand, and a black vulture, flapping enormous wings, dropped the Sun Chi Lantern and the Heart of Jong onto it before circling round and landing on the floor next to her. A sleek reptile, with spines ridged along its back, also flew round with paper wings, having grown a dragonish Longi Kite on its back. It dropped the Fist of Tebigong and the Star Hanabi on the table.

But it was the Sun Chi Lantern Wuya was interested in. She took it in her hands possessively, unable to keep the wide smirk from appearing from her face. _Now_ she had a way to return to full power. "Just what I need …"

"The Sun Chi Lantern? But I thought Omi and the others had that one?"

"You're right … they must have been at Jack's house. What were they doing there, I wonder?"

Wuya half-swiped at the turning globe, and it disappeared in a misty twirling mixture of whites and blues. She shut her eyes, trying to sense the magical energy of a certain Shen Gong Wu … the Horn of Qilin had a very distinct signature, it was almost like a beacon … and she could sense it, quite far off, somewhere to the East.

Still with closed eyes, she summoned some magical energy … A white fog appeared in mid-air right in the place where the globe had been – and inside the fog, Raimundo could see Dojo, flying, with Jack's hovercar beside him.

She opened her eyes. "So … they've decided to join forces, _have they?_"

As if a thousand Jacks would be of any use. Nine had been completely useless …

Raimundo frowned as he watched them fly … He could easily nip in and attack them with the Golden Tiger Claws, now that he could see them. But maybe Wuya had something else, sometime more _fitting_ in store for them …

"What are you going to do to them?"

"Nothing …"

"_Nothing?_"

Raimundo's voice held such shock that Wuya gave him a _very_ sharp glare, and he bowed his head in obedient apology.

"Sorry, your Highness, but it surprises me …" His eyes were narrowed in a dark expression of calm rage. "You have the perfect opportunity to strike … and you're just gonna _let them go?_"

Wuya sighed. "I am tired … I cannot afford to waste what little energy I have on what may prove to be a fruitless endeavour."

"Fruitless? Just _kill_ them and take their Shen Gong Wu."

"No … now that I have my body back, they are more valuable to me alive … at least for the moment."

"What about Jack?"

"Jack's not a threat to me."

"Not yet, but he might become one, Highness."

"If I were at full power, not even his inventions would be able to save him."

"But you're not, are you?"

"A temporary setback," she said, with one of her wide grins. She swiped through the fog-image, and it disappeared. "One I mean to remedy _right now_, as a matter of fact." With her arm, she made a commanding gesture to the vulture and it bent its body down, allowing her to climb onto its back.

"Thought you were tired?"

"I am, but I'll be back shortly, don't you worry. You stay here in the palace … if you need anything, summon my guards. I won't be long."

"As you wish, your Highness," Raimundo said, bowing respectfully.

She sliced at the air with the Golden Tiger Claws, and disappeared into the purple portal, atop the vulture Huai-Ren.

Raimundo growled, a furious animal-like snarl of frustration. The Xiaolin warriors were getting away …

And then he sighed.

He would have to be patient. He would get his revenge soon enough.

* * *

Unbelievable – yet _another_ failed jailbreak … DarkClaw could only watch as the other creatures bickered amongst themselves.

The creatures were squabbling about what to do next now. Aria the harpy was screeching at Oro the anzu, who was snapping and biting at Hunter the werewolf, who was growling at Sando'ip the goblin … and the three imps had deserted the group entirely, having given up what they felt was a lost cause.

Sando'ip had managed to rally these few creatures to his side, the sole remains of magical creatures that actually supported Gong Gong and the true Heylin cause, but, in DarkClaw's view, they were nothing but short-sighted simpletons. They were only interested in the short term. Unfortunately, this meant that the whole lot of them wanted results right away … and their most recent failure to break into the prison was bound to send a few tempers rising through the roof.

The chimera Blaze, on the other hand, had remained completely cool. He didn't seem at all bothered about any of this, DarkClaw noticed. Maybe he knew, then.

And then there was Troto the troll, who was leaning again the walls of the cavern in a very laid-back manner, puffing on a cigar, also watching the others argue … Nothing bothered him. The whole universe could be on the very verge of destruction, and he wouldn't care.

"You did not breach the jail, again, then?"

DarkClaw turned his head slightly to the side, to see Tubbimura standing next to him. They were inside a small cave that inwards led to Nidavellir, the Dwarves' home, and outwards led to a small forest.

"Yes, unfortunately. You were right about the Drorpions; they are particularly tough opponents indeed."

"What will you do? Should we steal the active Shen Gong Wu from Wuya and Jack? They would definitely help."

DarkClaw made a small sighing noise. "The Shen Gong Wu are no longer my primary concern."

He turned to walk away, towards the cave's entrance, and all of the creatures stopped their arguing to stare at the back of DarkClaw's head. Since he always wore a hooded robe, they had never seen his true form. Like most Shoka, he kept his appearance hidden wherever he could.

"And why is that?" Tubbimura asked.

Blaze's lion head grinned. "Wuya has been restored, hasn't she?"

_So_, thought DarkClaw, _I was right. He **does** know._

He stopped walking and nodded. "Yes …"

"How do you know this?" asked Aria, folding her winged arms.

"I'm sensing a great disturbance in the xing xing jing …"

"Oh?" asked Troto, raising an eyebrow. "And what's _that_?"

"Idiot," Blaze snapped at the troll. "It's the elemental force, or energy of the planet … It feels like a huge chunk of it is missing … the elements of Wood and Lightning … they're just … gone. Not there."

"I can't sense the moon's pull 'ny more," growled Hunter the werewolf grouchily, scratching his fur with his hind leg. "That must be why I'm feeling so grumpy …"

"Only Wuya would be able to cause a disruption of this magnitude," DarkClaw told them, and he walked to the cavern opening, staring out into the dark sky. This wasn't supposed to happen …

"I do not understand," Tubbimura said from inside the cave. "I thought Wuya was on the Heylin side, as you are."

"Yeah," Sando'ip's squeaky little voice rang out, "I'd have to agree with that _human_ … what's wrong with her coming back? Won't she want to attack Nu Wa?"

The Shoka sighed as he returned inside, a long, quiet sigh that seemed to come from the very earth itself. He paced slowly, backwards and forwards, the group following his movements as he spoke.

"Once upon a time, Wuya was as fiercely opposed to Nu Wa's rule as we are, and that still holds true, to a certain degree … but Wuya's motives have changed. She wants to take Nu Wa's place as Empress of the world, to subvert and change the Earth into a world where _every __living_ _thing_ would bow to her, even those of the Heylin faction. That is not a world I want to see …"

"But the puzzle-box … why did you want it opened?" Hunter asked, as DarkClaw turned back around to face the group.

"… Fifteen hundred years ago, Wuya disrupted the xing xing jing, and all the Shen Gong Wu became active. The puzzle-box was the last Shen Gong Wu, a way for Dashi to contain Wuya's jing and drain her chi, devised by the black guardian of the North, Gui Xian … The process turned her into a gui form. Releasing her gui form simply activated the Shen Gong Wu again; she is harmless as a ghost.

"I have studied all the Shen Gong Wu extensively; SilverClaw left Xing Hua with a list of all the ones she found with the Grand Master. I could see no method of turning a gui into a physical state with the Shen Gong Wu that SilverClaw found. But … Wuya must have found a way …"

"If she is this powerful," said Blaze, "perhaps we'd be better off joining her after all."

"Fool!" hissed DarkClaw. "You don't know what she's capable of!"

"Neither do you," said Blaze. "You only know her by reputation … She may even have lost her powers …"

"I doubt it. Her magical energy was not drained by the Puzzle."

"See, that's wot we need," smiled Troto, "someone with _magic_." He jerked his head sideways towards Sando'ip. "Not a useless toerag like 'im."

"Be quiet!" the little goblin snarled, jumping up and down on the spot in a miniature sized temper tantrum.

"We could help her," Blaze suggested, "if she frees our followers from the prison."

DarkClaw snorted. "She won't need _our_ help to get what she wants … She is ruthless, cruel … she'll just see you as a means to increase her great supply of jing …"

Oro, the golden anzu, pounded the floor with an angry paw. "I am _tired_ of these failures! You promised our freedom, our deliverance from the human plague that infests this world, and instead we get disappointment after disappointment!" He paced around angrily, looking like a frustrated lion in a cage. "I will tolerate this no longer! I've tried everything to free my kind – I've tried negotiating with Long and the rest of those traitors … I will do _anything_ … if it means I must help this Wuya, then so be it!"

"I'm with him," said Sando'ip. "We need magic to beat those Drorpions."

"I … don't know," said Aria doubtingly. "What if DarkClaw is right? Wuya could be more trouble than it's worth …"

Blaze growled. "I can sense the source of the darkness … it is most concentrated in that direction … It's not too far off … I'm going."

Sando'ip climbed onto Oro's back, and Oro flexed his wings. "Don't try to stop us, Dark," the anzu said.

"You can do what you want …" DarkClaw replied, feigning nonchalance. "I can't stop you, if you really want to go. Just don't come back crying for help when it goes wrong."

"Humph," said Blaze, unimpressed by DarkClaw's supposed advanced knowledge. Just because he was a _Shoka_, didn't mean he knew _everything_ … Blaze left the cave without saying anything more; and all the creatures followed his lead.

All except Troto the troll, still leaning against the walls of the cave, puffing on his cigar.

"They're a bunch of fools," DarkClaw seethed, "the whole lot of them … They'll be nothing but a source of jing to her."

"And that's bad, is it?" asked Troto, casually blowing a ring of smoke into the air.

"What?" DarkClaw snapped in disbelief.

"I've never understood all that chi palarva, you see. Feng Shui and that I Ching … Bunch of mumbo jumbo."

"You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Troto laughed. "I know."

"What should we do now?" Tubbimura asked with folded arms, looking a little impatient.

"Continue on our way. I never should have joined Sando'ip in the first place." DarkClaw held up the pendant around his neck.

_And once this Shen Gong Wu becomes active …I will **finally** be able to take part in the showdowns …_

* * *

_**Notes:**_

_Damn, man … That was my crappiest chapter yet. All that time I took to put something new on this site – and __that was best I could do? What a rip …_

_**gui **– ghost, or spirit. A gui is an earth-bound yin spirit, whereas a shen spirit is an ethereal yang spirit._

_**xing xing** – planet. 'X' is pronounced with a kinda soft 'sh' … like the 'x' in Xiaolin.  
_

_**jing **– essence. In Chinese philosophy, this essence is a predetermined energy that everyone has, inherited from your parents, and is used to make chi. It is a finite substance – once it runs out, you die. If written with a different character, jing also means power or energy._

_**Peaches of Immortality – **obviously, peaches that make you immortal. In Chinese legend, Sun Wukong (better known as the Monkey King) stole these peaches from the Sacred Peach Garden in heaven._

_**Gong Gong** – In Chinese mythology, a water demon who fought the fire god Zhu Rong and lost … but he's got a slightly different role in my fic, so bear that in mind._

_**Nu Wa –** Empress goddess of the world who created mankind from mud, also from Chinese myth. Something Wuya said to Jack in Like a Rock reminded me of this._

_**Tubbimura – **I'll explain more about him at a later time. That's all I'm saying for the moment, but I thought I'd make a mention of it just in case someone thinks his appearance was a bit random._


	11. Dead of Night

**Uploaded: 18th December 2004**

_Warning: there's some strong swearing, and Wuya's quite evil here._

* * *

**Chapter 11: Dead of Night**

Dust in the wind …

Wuya easily disintegrated the gun of the thirty-year-old man she'd just killed. He thought he'd had her right where he wanted her when he had brandished it. It had been amusing to watch his face drop as he realised she could deflect his shots … Such an easy target. The humans of this time would be even easier to dominate than those of fifteen hundred years ago. They relied far too much on their technologies. Like Jack, they were helpless without them. She climbed onto her Huai-Ren, feeling another large rise in her chi energy … Soon … _soon_ she would have her powers back.

She flew high across the city, looking down at the chaos beneath her. People were rushing through the streets and through the middle of roads as cars without energy were jammed tight in long queues … It should have been day, here; and unsurprisingly, the unnatural darkness had frightened the common humans, while those with authority struggled to restore order. And in the darkness of day, a few had resorted to breaking shop windows, looting whatever was worth stealing …

The Huai-Ren landed, inside a small alleyway, and Wuya jumped off, walking a tiny distance to the end and looking out onto the main road. As she drew a _Huo_ symbol in the air, creating a tiny ball of light in her hand, she couldn't resist one of her smirks. She'd hardly been back for one day and already she was causing widespread panic.

_They haven't even **seen** me yet,_ she thought. _They don't even know why they're running …_

She gave the glowing ball to her Huai-Ren to hold in its beak, still watching the people run. They were scurrying around like frightened mice. The question was … which one should she pounce on next?

The problem solved itself. Dodging a right punch from behind, Wuya grabbed the arm of a would-be mugger and twisted it painfully behind his back.

"Shame on you," she said, smiling, "attacking a helpless lady from _behind_ …"

The thug swore as he tried to escape Wuya's hold. She was a lot stronger than she looked. " 'Cept, you ain't so helpless, are you?"

"You'll do nicely. Nu Wa won't mind if I pick _you_ off, surely."

"What the – ? Let go of me, you fucking bitch!"

"Temper, temper," she scolded, talking in his ear. "Now … I can kill you quickly, or I can kill you slowly. It's up to you …"

"Ha, I've seen a lot worse than you, darling. You don't scare _me_."

She laughed quietly. "Misguided fool. _Sun Chi Lantern._" The little lantern glowed white, allowing her to borrow his chi energy. She twisted his arm again, flipping him over onto his back and he immediately sat up, but she traced a Wood symbol, and several vines grew magically out of the ground, pulling him back down to the ground and restraining him.

He was definitely scared now. His voice shook. "W-what the hell kinda freak are you?"

She bent down next to him, smiling, with her head cocked to the side. "Oh, don't tell me you're scared, _darling._ I'm only doing you a favour, really. You're just a human, trapped in the mediocre cycle of life and death that Nu Wa cursed every creature on this planet with. And I'm about to break that cycle for you."

"W-what are you _talking_ about?"

She held her hand over his ensnared body on the floor. Her hand glowed a dark purple colour.

"W-what's going on?"

"_Xiqu jing_," she said. His body glowed grey; and she began to absorb his jing …

Jing and chi were connected. Jing was used up to make chi energy. Having an infinite supply of jing equated to having an infinite supply of energy … But you couldn't absorb jing from a living entity without taking away their chi energy first; and Wuya knew no spells that could remove a person's chi energy. Yet. If Fengqu could find a way to do it, then there had to be a spell for it too … but until she could figure it out, the Sun Chi Lantern would do nicely for absorption purposes.

Absorbing jing was like drinking alcohol – it was best done in moderation. Too much at once, and you'd become stone-drunk on power; too little, and you wouldn't feel any effects at all, which made it pointless. Wuya liked to absorb jing very slowly though, despite that fact; she had ample jing to spare, having done this many times before. She couldn't access her large supply rightnow because she'd been out of action for so long. By slowly absorbing once again she hoped to be able to kick-start her own supply into action …

So, Wuya was deliberately taking her time with her victims tonight. The man screamed as his essence was slowly, cruelly drained from him. And this time, she _could_ feel a _giant_ surge in her energy levels … Finally she could feel her powers returning. The accumulated jing and chi she had stolen had galvanised her own jing and chi into action.

And she cackled. _Now_ she could kill the Chosen Ones …

When Wuya was finished there was nothing left but a pile of dust on the floor.

Dust in the wind …

* * *

"End-end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end –"

"Quickly-er. If we do not hurry, Wuya may attack-er."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah … you've only told us about a MILLION times …"

"This is ridiculous. I am _not_ travelling all the way to Ping-jing. Do you know how FAR that place is? Not to mention all the FOG we have to travel through …"

"Best place to be at a time like this."

"– End-end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end –"

"We must hurry-er …"

"Why can't Bai Hu come _here_?"

"He had more important things to take care of."

"Like WHAT?"

"Like your brother, for starters."

"Psh. What a _rip_."

"Quit complaining, you whiner. Get a move on!"

"Shut up."

"– End-end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end –"

"WE MUST HURRY-ER!"

"Calm down there, 'Yote."

"You don't understand-er! I can sense it-er – the –"

"Xing xing jing thing is out of sync – yeah, WE KNOW. Flamin' heck, you sure have a one track mind."

"Yes-er … but Wuya has returned to full power-er … I can sense it-er."

"…"

"…"

"Jeez. Well, you're just _full_ of good news today, aren't you?"

"– End-end-end-end-end-end-end-end-end –"

"And will someone please SHUT THAT DAMN PIXIE UP? SHE'S DRIVING ME INSANE!"

* * *

Raimundo sat outside in the cool night air, next to one of Wuya's grey stone guardians, perched along the high walls that made up the perimeter of Wuya's palace. And there he sat, brooding, thinking of ways he could get back at his former friends. Perhaps it was just as well Wuya had placed the Yizhi spell to control him, otherwise he would have just left … He growled, looking for a second like he was going to leave and find a way to reach the Xiaolin warriors so that he could get some kind of revenge, but then he relaxed. He was to obey the Great One, and she had told him to wait here in her palace. How boring …

Or maybe not … He squinted his eyes; there, down below, he could see a group approaching the steep hill, from the air. Was the palace being attacked? It was hard to see in the darkness, but there were five of them; two larger flyers, two riders, and a smaller flyer.

"Intruders," whispered the stone guardian, and it stood up on all fours. Raimundo climbed onto its back, and it leapt effortlessly down into the palace grounds, on the inside of the walls. Several Huai-Ren were hissing and snarling; they had sensed the chi energy of the intruders.

"Perhaps you should return to the palace, Dragon," the stone lion told its rider.

"No way! Let me handle this!" Raimundo said. He was just itching for a fight. If he couldn't take out his pent-up rage and frustration on the Xiaolin Dragons, then he could, at the very least, fight off these intruders.

"What? But – "

He smiled at the stone lion. "Trust me …"

The guardian relented. Wuya had told all of her palace servants to obey the young human's commands – within reason. "Do you not at least want the Shen Gong Wu?"

"I want to see how I measure up against them without any Shen Gong Wu. And the Empress will be back soon …"

"Very well … Let's see what you can do …"

The lion exited through the large gate. The intruding group had landed, and the lion broke into a gallop, running along to where the path to the palace ended, down the hill to halt the group's progress. It was dark and chilly, and the five creatures tensed collectively as Raimundo and the lion approached them.

The lion called: "Halt!" and they all came to a stop.

There were indeed five. The golden lion-bird anzu, Oro; the three headed chimera, Blaze; the brown feathered harpy Aria; the dark brown-grey furred werewolf, Hunter; and the tiny goblin, Sando'ip, carrying a small lantern in his hands. But, of course, Raimundo didn't know their names.

The smallest flyer, the harpy, Aria, stuttered nervously. "Erm …"

"Yes?" Raimundo drawled, confidently leaping off the stone lion. "Can I help you?"

"A human?" hissed Oro, feathers bristling in surprised anger.

"Is … this … where we can find the Heylin witch Wuya?" asked Blaze, the chimera. He was giving Raimundo a suspicious look with all three of his heads – just what was a human doing all the way out here, anyway?"

"It sure is … but if I were you, I'd skedaddle. She's not gonna wanna deal with a loada weirdos at this time of night."

"Impertinent whelp!" snarled Oro, looking furious. He hated humans, and had only been able to tolerate Tubbimura because the ninja – fat though he was – was very skilled at his job. "What's your name, boy? I want to know who it is I've crushed to death!"

"Raimundo, Dragon of the Wind," he proclaimed with a flashy bow.

"Xiaolin Dragon?" asked Hunter, the werewolf.

"I left the Xiaolin temple yesterday," Raimundo replied. "I serve the great Wuya now."

"I've never heard of a _Heylin_ Dragon," said Blaze. "You're lying!"

Raimundo gave a crooked smile. "Oh, I'm _not_ … but I'd be perfectly happy to wipe the floor with you bozos if you _really_ wanna scrap."

"Show-off brat," said Oro. "You think you can take us all on?"

"Of course! Come get some!"

Oro growled as he ran at Raimundo, but the Dragon of the Wind easily rolled out of the way. He leapt up high, using his Wind element to get to a height that would otherwise be impossible to reach otherwise, and performed several forward somersaults before skilfully landing on the ground. Avoiding the chimera's fiery breath and a blow from the werewolf's sharp paw was no problem for Raimundo either; he even managed to smile tauntingly at the anzu while doing so.

Oro seethed. "You … I'll tear you apart, human!"

There was a low growl from the stone lion. "Be careful, Dragon."

Aria, who had not taken part in the attack, looked at the stone guardian in confusion. "Maybe he's telling the truth," she said uncertainly.

"A likely story," snarled Oro.

Blaze's snake head hissed at Sando'ip. "Give us a hand, you miserable little goblin!"

"All right, all right, keep your hair on …"

Sando'ip reached into one of his little pockets – a bright flash worked well on humans – and took out a tiny silver ball. He chucked it, so that it landed at Raimundo's feet. Raimundo was taken by surprise; there was a sudden explosion of light, which blinded him. He couldn't see anything, and he covered his eyes protectively. A strike from the left knocked him to the ground. The light disappeared, and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, one of the chimera's paws at his throat.

But he smiled, a _very_ dark look in his eyes. "Oh-ho-_ho_ … You got me … But you should leave now … I'd hate to see what would happen if you're still here when Wuya gets back. She doesn't take kindly to unexpected visitors, see."

"Oh? You should be more concerned about your own safety, Dragon of the Wind."

"You might want to get off _me_, then, before you're _killed_."

"By a measly human? I think not!"

Suddenly, it was a lot brighter in the immediate area; and a bit warmer, too. Raimundo had the gall to laugh right in Blaze's face. "Too late. You're as good as dead …"

"Release him, _at once_," another voice said, and everyone looked to their left. "Or pay the price for _crossing me_."

Blaze blinked, and stepped quite meekly off Raimundo, who smirked back at him. Wuya had returned, having used the Golden Tiger Claws, it seemed. She was standing next to the vulture Huai-Ren, still wearing the Sun Chi Lantern around her neck, and she was holding a small red bubble of energy in her right hand, just like the one she'd conjured inside the Horn of Qilin cave to keep warm and light the way. Raimundo could sense her presence again, and now he knew what it was he was sensing – her chi energy.

Blaze looked at her warily … so this was one of the Moshu-Ren, or magical folk, that DarkClaw had described. History told that they had been all but wiped out by the extremist General Li Jin, and Li Jin had been a servant of Nu Wa … so it was no wonder that Wuya wanted to do away with Nu Wa.

Wuya carefully placed the fire bubble on the lion guardian's head, and gave the other creatures a fierce glare. "You are all _trespassing_!" she boomed.

Sando'ip and Aria flinched; Hunter's golden eyes blinked in surprise. Oro wasn't too bothered; but he frowned when he saw the look on Blaze's three heads – surprised worry. He'd never seen him look so worried. It was because Blaze could sense her power, too. Now Blaze knew what had happened to the missing jing elements of Wood and Lightning … They were _inside_ her …

"We came to ask for your assistance, great sorceress," Oro began, not really fazed, since Sando'ip had met her before, and, like Blaze, he had been unimpressed by DarkClaw's description of her; but his voice was still quavering around the edges nonetheless.

But if Wuya knew Sando'ip before, she wasn't showing any signs of recognition now. "You _dare_ make demands of me? I've never heard such insolence!" she thundered.

Without warning, the ground began to shake as she summoned the elements of Lightning and Wood. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled; trees grew everywhere, and the five creatures found themselves overwhelmed by thick, twisting snake-like vines.

"Wait," Oro pleaded, "we can help you!"

"Silence! I have no use for a pathetic group of incompetent misfits!"

She fired lightning from her hands at the nearest ensnared creature, the harpy. Aria screamed, writhing in terrible agony. The vines released her pale body, which dropped as a lifeless heap to the floor. Blaze bit back a yell as he saw her body drop – she was dead.

Raimundo calmly walked to the struggling Blaze, a triumphant smirk on his face. "I _told_ you to leave … But you didn't listen …" His voice took on a dreamy, sing-song manner. "And now you're going to _die_ … What a _shame_ …"

Wuya wasn't so amused. She walked towards the next nearest creature, the goblin Sando'ip, with murderous rage in her cold eyes.

"Please," he choked desperately, the vines slowly squeezing the life out of him. "You – told – me … how – to – reach … the – Pi – xie – vill – age – "

And now it was Wuya's turn to blink in surprise. Everyone gasped for air, as the vines, for the moment at least, stopped their strangling. Wuya looked at the goblin more closely. "Oh! I remember you now … _Yes_ … you were trying to steal Shen Gong Wu from Jack's house …"

_**That's** what she remembers him for? _thought Oro.

Sando'ip was still gasping for air. "Yeah, and you helped me get the pixie dust – for which I'm _very_ grateful, by the way!"

"Hmm … "

Wuya smiled a terrible smile, and there was an awful silence – it was clear she was pondering whether to kill them or not.

Sando'ip threw caution to the winds.

"You're looking for SilverClaw, aren't you?"

Abruptly, the vines dropped Sando'ip to the ground, but Wuya immediately jerked him up and held him up closely. "Do you _know_ where SilverClaw is?"

"Well, not technically –"

"_What?_"

"But – but – a couple of my friends do! They used the pixie dust you stole to put her to sleep!"

"Oh they did, did they?"

Sando'ip nodded vigorously. Wuya let go of him, and he let out an _"Oof!_" as he crashed to the rocky floor.

"Don't tell me you're going to _spare_ them?" Raimundo asked, disappointment in his voice.

Wuya tilted her head sideways. "I haven't decided yet … I don't need them. Not _really_."

"We can help you – but only if you'll let us," said Oro, not quite meeting her eyes as he tried to get himself out of the tangled mess of vines. "Sando'ip can find SilverClaw …"

"And what's to stop me disposing of you once you've served your purpose?"

DarkClaw had been right about her, Oro realised suddenly, with a cold stab of fear. Completely ruthless …

"The humans are ill-prepared for an invasion from the Heylin side …" he replied carefully.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Who are you all, anyway?"

Hunter was too scared to say anything – which didn't surprise Oro _anyway_. Sando'ip was still sitting on the floor, also scared. Blaze and all of his heads were staring dolefully at Aria's body, so Oro answered for them.

"We are … the last of the Heylin magical creatures. Our kind are all imprisoned in the Dwarves' land under Nu Wa's orders. We attempted many break-ins, but we're no match for the Dwarves' ingenious defences and tough Drorpion guardians. We need help to free them."

"I don't know _why_ you thought you could just come here in the middle of the night and expect _me_ to help you …"

"If you help us gain our freedom, we will all submit to your rule," Oro said.

Wuya scoffed. "What, all of you? Hmm, it doesn't matter whether you do or not. I intend to take this world by force anyway, but if you're going to serve me willingly, I _suppose_ it would make it easier for me ...

"Very well," she said. The vines disappeared into the ground, and the creatures were freed. "I will help you. But I expect nothing less than absolute obedience from you and your kind. I'm going to attack Nu Wa. I will not stand for _anyone_ in your ranks who opposes me."

Hunter and Sando'ip nodded. "Suits me," Oro said. "I've always hated Nu Wa. Anything that disrupts her perfect little world is fine by me."

"It's getting late, your Highness," said Raimundo. "Shouldn't we be heading back?"

Wuya nodded, but Oro couldn't hold back a growl. "You'd trust a human – a Xiaolin Dragon, no less – but not us?"

"The boy helped me get my body back, so – yes."

"You're _really_ lucky, y'know," Raimundo muttered to Blaze.

Blaze frowned at him. "My friend is dead …" he whispered harshly. "I would NOT call that _lucky._"

Raimundo smirked back. "Aw, _too_ _bad_ …"

Blaze was fast, but Wuya was faster. Blaze tried to swipe at Raimundo, but Wuya once again summoned the Wood element, this time calling upon a huge tree out of the earth to restrain Blaze within its branches. Blaze breathed fire and managed to burn his way out, but he jumped back and whimpered as a bolt of lightning struck the spot where he'd been standing.

"Desist, _now_!" Wuya said sternly, looking serious and sounding angry again. "The Dragon of Air is under my protection. If so much as one hair on his head is harmed, you'll wish that I _had_ killed you …"

"But … why?" Oro asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but he is my apprentice."

Raimundo exchanged his arrogant look for one of confusion, giving her an _"I **am**?"_ look. This was the first time she'd mentioned anything about this to him …

She gave him the slightest of nods, and then addressed the others. "I've agreed to help you, but I must warn you: anyone who angers me will be punished _most_ _severely_."

The four creatures nodded, and Blaze knew that they'd made a horrible mistake …

And Wuya, too, wondered briefly whether she was making a mistake, taking them in like this …

But then again, maybe having the world's magical creatures at her command wouldn't be such a bad thing after all …

* * *

Kimiko sighed a sad sigh. She couldn't help wondering what Raimundo was doing right now. Was he all right? Was Wuya treating him right? And then she frowned. Why should she _care_? Raimundo was the one who betrayed them …

"Don't worry, Kimiko," Clay said from behind her, thinking she was sighing for Omi's sake, "he'll be as good as new in no time."

She looked down at Dojo's scaly body, thankful that Clay couldn't see her deep frown. It was cold, and she was tired. Her mind was drifting towards Raimundo again … but it was Omi she should really have been worried about. It had been Rai's _choice_ to leave, after all … but did he really know what he was doing? After Dojo's recount of what had happened in the Horn of Qilin's cave … Kimiko wasn't so sure. She would have to ask Omi about it when she healed, since Omi was the one who fought him …

After a pause, she said, "Aren't you worried, Clay? What about the rest of our families? Wuya attacked Jack's parents without any hesitation …"

"Wuya wouldn't know where your parents are," said Dojo. "I'm sure Master Fung has sent word to them advising them what to do. Besides, if I know Wuya, she'll be looking for SilverClaw, like we are. She might not even bother with us right now, if we're lucky."

"Well that's _nice_," said Kimiko sarcastically. "We're not even worth the bother."

Jack's voice crackled over the radio. "How far _is_ this Ping-jing place? We've been flying for ages."

"Not far at all," Dojo responded. "But the sooner we get there, the better."

"Good," said Jack, " 'cause I've got things to do."

"Is being a dork high on your list of priorities, Jack?"

"Shut UP, Ashley!"

"Hey!" Dojo yelled. "That's my ear you're shoutin' in!"

"Uh, Dojo, what's THAT?" said Jack suddenly, over the radio.

"What's what?"

"THAT!"

Kimiko and Clay looked to the right and saw one of the most bizarre things they'd ever seen in their lives. It was a large purple and white tiger floating on a green carpet. The tiger had a golden aura surrounding it. It came closer.

"Should I get the Shen Gong Wu out of the chest?" Clay asked.

"Don't bother!" the tiger said cheerfully. "I'm a friend, not an enemy!"

"Oh yeah?" said Jack suspiciously, pushing a button on his controls. Ten different guns opened out of various compartments on his plane and swivelled to face the tiger. "Because these guns need testing out, and you've been the first guy we've seen for ages … I'm feeling a little trigger-happy."

The tiger guffawed. "Bwhahaha! I'd love to see you try and catch _me_!"

"You're on, fur-face!"

"Wait a minute, he looks familiar …" said Dojo.

The tiger flew a little closer to Dojo. "Dojo! I haven't seen you since you left Ping-jing! You've sure got a lot to explain to your father … but I'm glad you're safe."

"Who ARE you?" Jack demanded.

"Bai Hu?" said Dojo.

"Guardian of the west?" said Kimiko.

"Yep, that's me! Good thing I found you, Dojo. We were all worried that Wuya might have got to the Chosen Ones first, especially since the Horn of Qilin became active."

"But how did you find us?" Jack asked, over the radio.

"Horn of Qilin," Bai Hu replied. "You guys are lucky Wuya hasn't attacked you yet."

Jack snorted, on the radio. "Oh yeah? She sent her fang-faced freaks to trash my house and steal my Shen Gong Wu."

"Well," said Bai Hu, "she's just got her powers back, so she just might try again."

"What?" said Dojo. "We've got to get to Ping-jing right away!"

"Just how many people can sense this Horn thing?" Jack asked.

"I can sense them, and Dojo and Wuya can … but that's about it … Fengqu only made them so that only Dojo, Wuya and I could them."

"What?" said Katnappe, on the radio. "Why would anyone want _Wuya_ to sense them?"

"It's a long story. But enough chit-chat! We've gotta get you guys to Ping-jing, pronto!"

With a mighty paw, Bai Hu slashed the air, and a purple portal appeared from nowhere – just like a Golden Tiger Claw portal.

Clay and Kimiko exchanged glances.

"Does that lead ta Ping-jing, Mr Bai Hu, sir?" Clay asked.

"You bet it does!"

"All right!" exclaimed Kimiko. "Short cut!"

Dojo flew inside, and Bai Hu followed on his magic carpet.

Jack hesitated.

"What are you waiting for, Jack?" Katnappe asked. "Fly inside already!"

Jack complied, but not without complaining.

"UGH! Why couldn't this guy have found us _before_?"

* * *

_**Notes:**_

_**fengqu **– humour, wit_

_**Bai Hu** – white tiger. Guardian of the western point of the compass._

_I forgot to put in the last chapter: I Ching. (pronounced yi jing)_

_**I Ching** – The Book of Changes, an ancient Chinese book on the Taoist philosophy, describing yin-yang amongst other things._

_Oh, and while I'm at it … Here's a couple of Italian translations._

_**oro** – gold_

_**aria **– air_


	12. Pingjing, arrival

**Uploaded: 13th February 2005**

_Thanks to cartoonhottie200 for pointing out the Clay getting changed thing (although I had noticed it already, I just couldn't be arsed to change it)._

_This chapter's more light-hearted than recent chapters have been, probably because evil jing-stealing Wuya's not in it. I made up Omi's last name, because he doesn't seem to have one. And the Dragon's Mask Shen Gong Wu belongs to Cybertoy00._

* * *

**Chapter 12: Ping-jing – arrival**

A beautiful, rural village situated in the heart of the high Chinese mountains in the north, Ping-jing was nonetheless different to what Kimiko was expecting. Hidden in a secluded valley, it looked so _normal_ that it was hard to believe that this was one of the few places of Earth unaffected by the disruption. Indeed, Kimiko's equipment had started to work as soon as they had exited Bai Hu's portal and entered the sacred mountain range, something she was keen to take advantage of. Nothing like a game of Minecreeper to take your mind off things. Of course, when Jack offered to join in, Kimiko instantly turned it off.

Jack had landed his plane by an octagon-shaped pavilion on the rocky outskirts of the village, while Dojo had returned to his regular size, climbing onto Clay's shoulders as the group, led by Bai Hu, walked through a spectacular golden arch at the entrance to the village. Ashley had gotten changed back into her black top and blue skirt, and was still carrying the lone kitten.

"So this is it, huh?" said Jack, looking around at the wooden roofed houses, and folding his arms, not looking too impressed.

Bai Hu nodded. "Yes … this is Ping-jing."

They came to the middle of the village, where there was a huge blue-bearded giant sleeping by a large steel-barred cage, which was big enough to hold an elephant inside.

Bai Hu stopped walking, and the humans stopped behind him.

The cage door was open.

"Uh oh," said Bai Hu apprehensively.

"What do you mean 'uh oh'?" Jack demanded.

"WAKE UP, LUMA LUMA!" Bai Hu roared.

The giant woke up, stretched big hairy arms, and yawned. "Oh, Bai Hu," he said dozily, in a slow dopey manner. "Haven't seen you since you went to that conference yesterday. Great, you found the Chosen Ones. What's wrong?" he added, when he saw Bai Hu's annoyed expression.

"Raicho's escaped again, you lunkhead."

"Sorry," he yawned. "But I was on guard duty all night last night … Long was afraid DarkClaw would come here. 'Course, DarkClaw tried to attack the Dwarves' prison today."

"Again? That's _three _times now … Hmm … He obviously wants to attack while the sleep drug is still in effect," Bai Hu said.

After stretching again, Luma Luma stood up to his full eight foot height. He reached inside his long beard and pulled out a golden watch, on a chain. "Goodness gracious, is that the time? Dear me, what took you so long? You should have been here with the Chosen Ones a long time ago."

"I got a little caught up. The griffin clans are at it again."

"Don't tell me they're _still_ arguing over airspace? I thought you'd sorted them out?"

"Yes, but Wuya's resurrection has only made things worse between them. They're totally spooked. It was bedlam at the peace talks today. One minute they were arguing over territory, and then suddenly they sensed Wuya's return to power … and all hell broke loose. The Chief of the Winter Clan came back with us here. He wanted Befana to look after his son, because he was afraid Wuya would kidnap him."

Luma Luma let out a long sigh. The griffins could be a high-strung group; they were always so protective and territorial, usually resulting in abnormal paranoia. "Why would she kidnap little Cloudstorm for?"

"Don't know. But Cloudstorm's a bit, well, _strange_. The way he looks at you … it's as if the kid knows everything. Anyway, before I could look for the Chosen Ones, I had to find and bring the little tyke here. It was a nightmare trying to get him to sleep, so I left Befana to do that.

"And then by the time I arrived at the Xiaolin temple, Master Fung told me that they'd already left. I sensed the Horn of Qilin, but I wasn't sure if Wuya had managed to get it … and then I finally decided to check."

"Is everyone at the temple okay?" Kimiko asked.

"They're all fine," said Bai Hu. "I don't think Wuya will attack the Xiaolin temple. I think by now she's realised that you'll have taken all the Shen Gong Wu with you. Still, they'd probably be better off here."

"Raicho's still around, is she?" Dojo asked.

"Yeah, but she's … changed a lot," Bai Hu said, and his face dropped, suddenly. "Sorry, but would you mind if we looked for her first? She can be very volatile, and it's best we keep her locked up for the moment."

"Sure," said Kimiko.

"Whatever," said Jack.

It wasn't long before they found her. Perched on the roof of a village house some fifty metres away, she was yelling and screeching at anyone that would listen. Unfortunately, there was no one there …

"I WARNED YOU THIS WOULD HAPPEN! EVEN WHEN THE MOSHU-REN WERE PRETENDING TO BE ON OUR SIDE, I SAW RIGHT THROUGH THEM!"

"Uh … who's she _talking_ to?" Ashley asked. Bai Hu frowned sadly.

Raicho turned her head slightly to the left, and gave the group a shifty stare. She was an enormous bird, covered in drab grey and black feathers. There were bald spots in her plumage; she looked a bit diseased, and her left eye didn't quite move together with the right.

She flapped her misshapen wings and landed clumsily on the ground, screeching in alarm.

"INTRUDERS! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED!"

Luma Luma approached her slowly, raising his arms in an attempt to placate the bird. "Calm down," he said in his dopey, lazy voice. "It's just Bai Hu with the Xiaolin Dragons."

"Xiaolin … Dragons? Good, good, good," she muttered to herself. "Good, good, good, good, good …"

"Ignore her," Bai Hu told the humans, who were all showing various degrees of uneasiness. "She's just gone a bit loony. It's not really her fault though. She's the former guardian of the Lightning temple."

"Former?" asked Kimiko.

"Wuya attacked her and absorbed the Lightning essence from the temple. Raicho's powers have never returned, and since that time she's been a bit … loopy. She was always saying that Wuya would return one day. But we could never tell if whether she could genuinely sense Wuya's return, or whether she was being overly crazy, and over the years … well, we've just learned to ignore her."

"IGNORE ME, WILL YOU?" she boomed suddenly, her left eye blinking and twitching. "YOU'VE DISREGARDED MY WARNINGS FOR FIFTEEN CENTURIES, RIDICULING MY SENSE OF JUDGEMENT! BUT WHO'S GOT THE LAST LAUGH NOW? AHKLUT WON'T STAY ON OUR SIDE FOR MUCH LONGER, YOU'LL SEE!"

Bai Hu growled gently. "Always with Ahklut … Ahklut this, Ahklut that … Don't you have anything better to do than bad-mouth someone you've never even met?"

"Oh, don't _you_ go talking to her; you'll only provoke her," Luma Luma warned.

"NO! I SHALL BE IGNORED NO LONGER! MY VOICE SHALL BE HEARD, FROM THE BOTTOMLESS DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN TO THE OUTER REACHES OF SPACE, IT **SHALL** BE HEARD! I WILL – "

She had been hopping on the spot vigorously, but she stopped abruptly when her eyes met Jack's. Jack blinked in horror, not wanting this crazy bird's stare on him, but she gazed at him for a thoughtful moment. And then she snapped.

"YOU! You're Fengqu's apprentice! The reason I look like this!"

"Uh, I think you've got me confused with someone else," Jack said, looking freaked. She squinted her eyes together, and her feathers all stood on end.

"What's she doing?" whispered Ashley.

"Tryin' to summon a thunderbolt," Luma Luma said sleepily, rubbing the end of his long blue beard. "I keep telling her that she can't do it any more because Wuya stole the essence, but it just doesn't register."

Raicho did seem to be under the impression she had power over lightning, but it was quite clear she didn't, because when she tried to summon a thunderbolt, nothing happened. She looked like she was trying to lay an egg.

At this, Jack snorted loudly, and he said, "Loser."

"No, don't insult – " Luma Luma started, but it was too late. Raicho charged like a rhino at Jack, who was ready to activate his heli-pack. But before she could reach him, Luma Luma took out a grey bag from inside his beard, and took a great stride forward, standing in front of Jack. The giant reached into the bag, took out some pink sparkling dust, and blew it into Raicho's face. The grey bird immediately fell asleep.

"Pixie dust," said Luma Luma, putting the bag back inside his blue beard. "Gotta love it."

"It's a shame, really," said Bai Hu sadly. "Raicho was a good guardian."

"Who's Ahklut?" asked Clay.

"He guards SilverClaw's Map, in the frozen north. I don't really know much else about him, except that he was alive when Wuya tried to take over the world fifteen hundred years ago."

"Ahklut's not his real name," said Luma Luma, this time taking a rope from inside his beard and bending down to tie up Raicho. "That's just the name the humans gave him because of his ability to shape-shift like the Shoka. Since you're here to stay this time, Bai Hu, why not stay with me for dinner?" He turned his head to face the others. "I'm sure you guys must be hungry."

"Are we ever!" said Clay, rubbing his stomach.

Jack wasn't so enthusiastic. What did giants have for dinner? Boiled humans?

"Just what's on the menu?"

"Braised steak, roast potatoes, carrots and peas … If only I hadn't fallen asleep," he yawned. "Would have been ready already."

"We're got to get a move on," said Bai Hu, and Clay looked so disappointed that he had to add: "Don't worry, we'll come back later."

"Yeah, we should get Omi healed first," Kimiko agreed.

"Omi?" said Luma Luma enquiringly, a little concern creeping into his voice. "Wait a minute, where is he? What's happened to him?"

"He's been frozen, but Befana should be able to heal him," Bai Hu replied.

"Assuming she managed to get Stormy to sleep. Well, good luck, Dragons."

The group bid farewell to Luma Luma, and continued through the village.

"I don't get it," said Dojo after a short while, looking around at the empty paths, and houses. Apart from Raicho and Luma Luma, they had seen no one around, and he'd been expecting someone in particular. They came to a stop when they reached a slight fork in the path. The path to the right was on a slight incline. "Where _is_ everybody?"

Bai Hu was a little concerned himself, but it wasn't his way to show it. "They're probably at the Jing Spring … Your father mentioned a big meeting of his own, Dojo."

_Uh oh,_ thought Dojo. He blinked nervously, hiding underneath Clay's hat. "You mean … he's here?"

Bai Hu chuckled heartily, as Clay raised an eyebrow and Kimiko snickered slightly. "Oh YES. He's here. But he can't still be mad at you; not at a time like this."

Dojo came out from Clay's hat, and slivered down to the floor in protest. "How would _you_ know? You don't know him like I do. He'll probably yell at me as soon as he sees me …"

"Nonetheless, you need to go to the Jing Fountain right away … he wanted to have a talk with you."

"I … _can't_ see him …!" spluttered Dojo incredulously.

" 'Course you can!" Bai Hu roared cheerfully. "In fact, he told me to make sure you go."

"Oh, goodness," said a quiet voice, and everyone turned around, to see a Chinese man and woman staring back at them. "We have visitors."

"Ah, Bai Hu!" said the man, beaming. He looked in his mid-thirties, had short scruffy black hair, and wore simple clothes, a beige robe and brown sandals. He held a large grey sack. The woman was dressed similarly, and looked about the same age, but had long black hair to her waist. She held a blue dragon's mask in one hand, and a dark blue orb that looked like the Orb of Tornami in the other, and she looked a little worried. Kimiko and Clay both recognised them from the photo Omi had in his possession – they were his parents.

"You've arrived safely with the Chosen Ones, I see …" The man cast a glance at Ashley and Jack. "And a couple of guests, too …"

Bai Hu nodded, and gently put his left paw on Dojo's tail to prevent him from escaping.

"Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Chow," Kimiko said, bowing in greeting.

"We have heard many good things about you," Mr Chow replied.

Mrs Chow was still looking concerned. "But … where is Omi?"

"One of Wuya's Huai-Ren froze 'im with a Stop spell," Clay said.

"Yes, we know … Befana told us he had been frozen. But is he here? Is he safe?"

"He's in my plane, over there," said Jack, pointing all the way back towards the pavilion.

The relief on both parents' faces was tangible. "Oh, thank goodness," said Mrs Chow.

"Come now, Dojo, you're only delaying the inevitable," Bai Hu said. The little dragon had escaped, and was slithering all around Bai Hu's body in order to avoid being sent through a portal.

"Oh, you must be Long's son," said Mr Chow, chuckling. "He really wanted to speak to you …"

"Fine," said Dojo finally. He followed Bai Hu down the left-hand path. "But if I get torched, I'm blaming _you_."

Mr Chow approached Jack, who gave him a suspicious look, and put a hand on his shoulder. Jack said, "What do you think you're doing? Do you know who I am?" but Mr Chow locked eyes with his pleadingly, and Jack sighed.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"I know who you are … and I know you are not on the best terms with my son. But, I don't suppose you would be good enough to bring your plane here, so that he can be healed …"

Jack shrugged again. "Yeah, whatever. Our parents were frozen too, that's why we're here." He pushed a button on his watch, and, from its position, the plane automatically flew, landing in the centre of the path behind them after a couple of minutes.

"How did you know about Omi, Mrs Chow?" Kimiko asked. Because Luma Luma hadn't, and he'd been the only one they'd seen. Then again, he _had_ been sleeping. "And about Jack?"

"Come, we'll take you to Befana's hut, and she'll explain everything," said Mrs Chow. She and Mr Chow proceeded up the right path, and Clay and Kimiko immediately followed.

"Befana?" queried Jack.

"Less talking, more walking," Ashley told him, to which he mumbled: "Loser."

* * *

Befana's cottage looked a little out of place in Ping-jing. It probably had something to do with the fact that it was made entirely out of sweets. Coca cola bottles and twizzlers and mars bars and fruit gums and chocolate and ice cream and jelly and lollipops ... Jack, Ashley, Clay and Kimiko stood just outside the candy-made door, wondering just what kind of a person lived here.

"Enter, children, don't be afraid," said Mr Chow. "We have to take these Shen Gong Wu to the Jing Fountain, otherwise we'd come in too."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," said Jack, licking his lips. "They're bound to have pudding here."

"You might make the house collapse, Jack," muttered Ashley.

"Please tell Befana to come to the Jing Fountain when she's finished," said Mrs Chow.

Kimiko and Clay nodded, and the group entered the sweet cottage.

Inside it looked a bit like a doctor's surgery. There were pink and white marshmallow chairs around the outside of the room, where a few individuals were seated. An old, withered man sat in a pink chair, next to what looked like a sleeping Dwarf (its red pointy hat was covering most of its face), and next to the Dwarf was a see-through blue spirit. There was a main chocolate desk, behind which were shelves with different coloured bottles and flasks. In the middle of the room was a large mint-sweet mat, a silver, cuddly animal curled up on top of it. Next to a window was a white chocolate table with a bowl of strange glowing fruit in it. They looked like peaches, except they were completely white in colour.

There was a tiny elf behind the main desk. None of the group would have noticed him if he had not been sitting on a tall, red and white candy stool. He wore green clothes and a pointy green hat, looking for all the world like a Christmas elf.

"Good evening," the elf greeted quietly. His voice was strange, sounding very nasal, as if his nose was being pinched. "My name's Soldor. How can I help you?"

"Oh, um … we're the Xiaolin Dragons," said Kimiko. "We were brought here by Bai Hu."

"Ah, say no more," said Soldor. "We've been expecting you. Where are the people in need of healing?"

"They're still outside," Jack said. "We weren't sure whether to bring them in or not …"

"Oh, yes, bring them in, bring them in. Befana's in the back, she'll be with you shortly," Soldor told them, gesturing to a door behind the desk that led to another room. "Make yourselves at home in the meantime. And please, try to keep the noise down. It was murder trying to get the griffin cub to sleep."

Jack's robots brought in the five human and two kitten statues, and placed them on the mint-sweet mat in the centre of the room, next to the silver toy; meanwhile Kimiko and Clay decided to sit round a honey-comb table, in two white rounded gobstopper chairs. Jack and Ashley sat opposite them, facing the window.

"What about _me_?" said the old man grumpily from his seat on the side on the room, banging a gnarled root-shaped stick on the floor. "I get no respect, I tell ya! No respect! I travelled for two hours _by foot_ to get here and these outsiders get treated _first_?"

Soldor groaned in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you, Do-Dum? There's _nothing we can do about your forest_. Not at the moment, anyway."

"I demand justice!" said the old man, still tapping his stick. "Why, back in the olden days we wouldn't have taken no crap off of no _witch_. You youngsters have gotten soft. Soft, I say!"

Soldor rolled his eyes. Befana had warned him about this particular Warder. Do-Dum the Cranky. "Keep quiet, Do-dum."

"I'll show you 'keep quiet' …" Do-Dum muttered under his breath.

The elf seemed to temporarily lose his temper. "Are you crazy? Or just senile? Wuya's no ordinary witch. We've already reactivated around five Shen Gong Wu in the Jing Fountain; but unless we have the Horn of Qilin – " Jack's head whirled round "– which became active today, we won't be able to restore the forest."

"Does that mean we can use the Horn to fix all the trees?" Kimiko whispered, while the old man grumbled, "Sod Wuya! I want my forest back!" (Soldor responded, "Be quiet – _please_.")

"Yeah, I think so," said Clay.

"But it'll take awfully long if _all_ the world's forests are dead," Ashley pointed out.

"_That's_ the spirit," said Clay sarcastically.

"There's no way I'm helping _that_ guy," Jack declared, nodding his head in the direction of the old man.

"Humph, that's why you're the bad guys," Kimiko remarked.

"I only came here to get my kittens and parents healed," Ashley insisted, with a high-and-mighty attitude. "Once I've done that, I'm out of here."

"Don't be an idiot," Kimiko said. "The world won't get back to normal until we defeat Wuya. You and your parents would be better off staying here."

"Maybe it's better this way," said Ashley.

"What _are_ you talking about?" Kimiko snapped.

"Think about it. Every day, people get up in the morning, they go to some tedious job, they come back home, they go to sleep … Day in, day out, the same routine … And for what? Pieces of paper and metal …"

"Is that why you think you're above the law?" Jack snickered. "Because of some crazy crusade against the normality of everyday life?"

"You're one to talk, Mr I-want-to-take-over-the-world," Ashley shot back angrily.

"Quiet, please!" Soldor shushed.

Ashley sighed. "Never mind," she said, quickly getting up off the table. Clay let out a sigh of his own.

Ashley walked slowly around the room, seeing if there was anything worth looking at. She reached out to touch one of the peaches in the fruit bowl.

"_Non toccare_!" shrieked a female voice from the other room.

"W-what?" spluttered Ashley, completely startled as she pulled her hand away.

"Don't touch anything!" said the same voice. "I can see what you're doing from here, so don't try anything."

"Whippersnappers … have no respect for other people's property …" Do-Dum mumbled to himself grouchily.

"Please be patient, she'll be with you in a mo-ment," said Soldor gently, deliberately ignoring him. "She's just fixing one of the Selkies. He got stuck inside his seal skin while trying to come onto land for the big meeting at the Jing Fountain."

"Right," said Jack, looking like he thought he'd entered the Twilight Zone.

"How can she see what we're doing?" said Ashley quietly, checking the room for security cameras. "I don't see any cameras …"

Kimiko shrugged, also looking around the room. "Probably some kind of magic."

At that moment, a young handsome man with long, golden hair and sparkling blue eyes entered from the back room. He was followed by a young lady with dark brown hair. The lady was young, probably in her early twenties. She wore long dangling earrings, and a dark red dress that flowed to the floor. The man was wearing nothing but a pair of grey and white shorts. Everyone stared.

"Thanks, Befana," the man was saying, "I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Still stuck on the beach, I'd imagine," Befana said, looking distracted as she folded a large piece of grey skin in her hands. "And if it were up to me, you'd have _stayed_ stuck, but … well … Just hold on a sec while I get the Mesoba oil …" Befana went behind the reception desk and turned her back to everyone else in the room, looking across the shelves and bending down, looking through the bottles.

Suddenly, Kimiko found herself getting up and greeting the strange man without even thinking about the action.

"Hi," she said dreamily, entranced by his beautiful sky eyes, and his buff body.

"Hello," he said in a friendly way, grinning at her. His grin exposed shiny, perfect teeth.

"I'm Kimiko …"

"One of the Xiaolin Dragons, right? Befana tells me you're quite the fighter."

"Ha," said Ashley, shoving Kimiko to one side. "I'm way better than her. I could beat her any day of the week."

"You COULD NOT!" yelled Kimiko. Clay and Jack exchanged confused glances. Ashley and Kimiko were in, it seemed, constant competition with each other; but this was a little strange …

"_Non urlare,_" said Befana, without looking up.

"Huh?" said Jack.

"Keep your voices down. The griffin cub is sleeping."

"I beat _her_ in a showdown," Ashley told the handsome man boastingly. "Wanna see my moves?"

Jack snorted as Ashley executed a couple of cartwheels, followed by two back-flips. Honestly, he had never seen her this keen to attract a guy before.

"These rotten kids have no respect!" moaned Do-Dum. "Doin' gynastics in front of me, knowin' how sensitive I am about my diseased leg."

"I thought you _walked_ here, Do-Dum?" Soldor asked.

"Yeah – FROM THE PAVILION! AND IT TOOK TWO HOURS!"

"How many times must I tell you? NO SHOUTING!"

"How 'bout I show you _my_ moves, after we heal my friend?" Kimiko suggested.

"I can give him a much more _pleasurable_ time," Ashley said, licking her lips in a failed attempt to be seductive. At this point Jack was struggling not to laugh.

"Well … I'll be going back to Scotland after this. Maybe you _both_ come with me and show me your stuff."

"Okay," both girls said, grinning happily, and they each grabbed one arm.

"Score!" beamed the man.

"Now wait a minute," said Clay, thirty percent confused, thirty percent angry and forty percent jealous. Who the hell was this guy? "What about our quest to stop Wuya?"

"Who-ya now?" said Kimiko, her blue eyes full of adoration for the man. Jack had switched his grin to a frown. He didn't mind Ashley going all the way to Scotland, but Kimiko deserved better than this jerk.

"Oh – Blueneck!" said Befana finally, coming from around the desk and smacking the man in the back of the head. "SHAME ON YOU! Stop trying to seduce them with your good looks!"

Blueneck grinned sheepishly. "But they'd make great additions to my collection of wives at home …"

"WHAT?" yelled Jack and Clay at the same time, both standing up simultaneously in protest.

"_Non urlare_!" snapped Befana. "You'll wake the griffin cub up." She pointed to the silver cuddly toy on the mat, which really wasn't a cuddly toy at all. It lay completely still, a rounded ball of fluff.

To Blueneck, she said: "I'm disgusted in you. Completely and utterly disgusted. Picking on these girls like that. You should know better."

"But – "

"NO BUT'S. THEY'RE TOO YOUNG FOR YOU, YOU SICK PERVERT. Now GO AWAY. These humans have better things to do than be your sex toys for the rest of their lifetimes."

Blueneck bowed his head in shame. "Okay … but what about the Mesoba oil?"

"I'll give the oil to you later. Now get out! Go on, get. I've got important patients here."

"Like me?" piped up Do-Dum.

"Yes …" _Your Crankiness …_

Kimiko and Ashley both seemed to come out of a trance.

"What's … going on?" Ashley asked, as they both sat back down at the table..

"Man, I should have videoed her," Jack chuckled to himself.

"Blasted Selkies and their enchanting powers …" grumbled Befana as Blueneck left through the door.

"Now it's MY turn! I demand justice!" said Do-Dum.

"Oh, shut up," snapped Befana, drawing the Chinese word for silence in the air (chenmo) above his head. Do-Dum continued to talk, but no sound came out.

The four teenagers immediately rose from the table. "Did you see that?" Jack exclaimed. "_She_ _put a curse on him_!"

"And she should have done it ages ago," Soldor added.

"I know," she said, "but I felt bad for him … I'm surprised Stormy hasn't woken up yet." She then noticed Clay, Ashley and Kimiko's apprehensive stares. Jack once again was totally freaked. What was wrong with this place?

"That was magic," Ashley said sharply.

"What's the matter?" said Befana, blinking innocently. "Haven't you ever seen magic before? I find that hard to believe, you've seen the Shen Gong – "

"Yaargh! Witch!" Jack yelled suddenly, pointing at her while backing away into the sweet-filled wall. This was some kind of Hansel and Gretel nightmare …

"Calm down, Jack," said Ashley.

"NO, I WON'T!" Jack yelled.

"NON URLARE!" Befana yelled back.

It really looked like Jack's brain was going into meltdown. "Tch-ch – what does that MEAN, anyway?"

"No shouting."

Jack's confusion overtook his nervousness. "Er … but didn't _you_ shout?"

"Yes; but I put a spell on him so that he's used to my voice. He won't wake up when _I _shout, You, on the other hand … well, it took me all of this morning to get him to sleep – pixie dust doesn't work – and that was with using the Mengmei Chime …"

She frowned slightly at their suspicious faces. It was perfectly understandable; they'd just come back from fighting one of the most powerful witches of all time. Still, that was no reason to take it out on _her_. "Just because Wuya's all dark and evil, doesn't mean the rest of us who use magic are."

Kimiko and Clay seemed to accept this, at least for the moment. If Bai Hu and Omi's parents trusted her … then she couldn't be evil.

Ashley asked: "Can't you undo what Wuya's done to the world?"

Befana shook her head. "That's to do with the xing xing jing, and that's way out of my league. Besides," she said gently, "I'm just a human who can use magic. Wuya's one of the original Moshu-Ren, so she's far more powerful than me."

"I don't quite understand," Kimiko said.

"It's … a long story. But I'm one of a few humans who are descended from the Moshu-Ren. My magic's not as strong because the powers have faded through the generations … And then there's the little point that my strength lies in European magic … I've studied magic from around the world, but I'm only able to do a few Chinese spells, so my reversal spells won't always work on Chinese curses."

"What about Omi?" Kimiko asked.

"Don't worry, I knew about the Dragon of Water. Potions will nearly always do the job if spells won't work. They just take longer to prepare."

"How did you know about Omi?" asked Clay.

"I have my sources," Befana said enigmatically.

"What about me?" Jack asked. He grinned a little, remembering how Omi's parents had known who he was even though they'd never met. "It's brilliant that everyone knows about me – as they _should_ – but I have to ask how you … found out."

"Jack Spicer … Trust me, I know all about you, too."

"Oh? Did everyone tell you what a brilliant genius I am?"

"We've known about you for a while. Your father was given the puzzle-box by an individual we've been investigating, so we've had to keep an eye on you."

Jack face fell, and Ashley laughed. They knew of him only because of someone else they were looking into? That sucked.

"Right," said Befana. "His chi has been frozen. And since chi energy pertains to movement, we'll need a Movement potion. Fortunately, I've got some already prepared …"

She went behind the desk, reaching to take a clear bottle from the shelf. She poured the clear liquid on Omi and then took a step back, and he blinked slowly, his eyes once again full of life. He swung the Monkey Staff around while continuing to speak as if nothing had happened.

" – Do not expect me to … What?"

His sad look turned to one of bewilderment, and he turned his round head around, gazing searchingly at the occupiers in the room, looking for the boy to whom he thought he had been speaking. "What is going on? Raimundo?"

"Omi!" exclaimed Kimiko happily, giving him a massive hug.

"Welcome back, lil' partner," beamed Clay.

"Yeah, yeah …" grumbled Jack.

"Ooh!" Omi said excitedly, a big grin on his face. "Another girl hug! But … what is going on? Where are we?"

"We'll explain everything later, Omi," Kimiko said. "But long story short – Wuya put a freezing spell on you, and Jack … saved you."

"What?"

Jack grinned at Omi's baffled look. "Yeah, I did, didn't I?" He couldn't resist a dramatic pose. "Jack Spicer – greatest genius in the universe!"

"Good grief," said Ashley.

"Hey, when I rock, I _rock_," said Jack. "And when Jack Spicer's happy, the whole world smiles."

"Definitely know about _you_," Befana remarked with a frown.

* * *

_**Notes:**_

_**non toccare:** don't touch_

_**urlare:** to shout_

_**chenmo:** silence_

_Thank goodness I've got Mala Mala Jong taped, I had to watch it a few times so I could do things right. I don't know where Jack lives, so I'm gonna assume China, since Mala Mala Jong didn't take long to reach the Xiaolin temple. And I was spending forever trying to figure out exactly what it is the Heart of Jong does so I could put that in my prequel … Ugh. Does it bring only MMJ to life or what? Bah. I've got its powers in my plans as "brings inanimate objects to life", and that's what I'm sticking to. Canon be damned._

_EDIT: After seeing "the Deep Freeze", I now know that the Heart of Jong does indeed bring inanimate objects to life, and not just MMJ. Hooray!_


	13. Pingjing, reunion

**Uploaded: 21st February 2005**

_There's a little bit about Dojo, a tiny bit about Omi, but it's mainly a Jack chapter. Very slight hint of Jack/Kimiko. Oh, and thanks for the reviews, everyone._

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* * *

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**Chapter 13: Ping-jing – reunion**

After leaving the Xiaolin warriors to see Befana, Omi's parents had carried the Shen Gong Wu to a grand stone fountain, placing them in a small pile beside the fountain, before joining the meeting that was taking place there. Dojo was in front of a large group of creatures and humans that had gathered around the fountain, which wasn't far from the edge of a great shimmering lake. Directly beside him was a golden-bearded man in the same beige robes that Omi's parents had worn, although this man had a wider, stockier build than Mr Chow.

Dojo was looking ashamed, head drooped and eyes to the ground. This was the first time he'd seen he'd seen his father in fifteen hundred years …

When Wuya absorbed the essence of Lightning all those years ago, the Shen Gong Wu became unbalanced. She already knew of the Shen Gong Wu since she owned a few herself, so she tried to find and keep the rest of them for herself. Dashi had already trained at all of the temples, and so Long asked him to stop her before she could bring them all together.

After Wuya absorbed the essence of Wood, the world was plunged into darkness, and it had been SilverClaw and Dojo's duty to accompany Dashi in the final battle against her. But, feeling that he had nothing to contribute, Dojo left them mid-battle, and they were forced to fight Wuya without him. Thankfully, Dashi defeated Wuya, but while Dashi received a hero's welcome in Ping-jing, Long and the other inhabitants were extremely disappointed in Dojo's cowardice. Feeling disgraced and dishonoured, Long angrily ordered his son to leave Ping-jing.

It was then decided that the Shen Gong Wu scroll was to be kept inside the Xiaolin temple. Wuya had killed the previous temple guardian, and SilverClaw declined the offer to be the replacement, as there were things she needed to sort out amongst her own people, who were scattered and few, thanks to Li Jin. Dashi vouched for Dojo, saying that without him, they would never have been able to find many of the Shen Gong Wu. Dojo became guardian of the Xiaolin temple as well as the Shen Gong Wu scroll, but Long had never seen his son since …

As soon as Master Fung had told the Xiaolin warriors to leave the temple with the Shen Gong Wu, Dojo knew he would have to take them here, and he had dreaded coming back here at the best of times. But fortunately for Dojo, none of the creatures in the village here and now had been alive back then. Just Bai Hu, Raicho, and … his father.

"I'm … sorry, Dad," he said to the gold bearded man beside him. "You know I am … But … without my pearl, what use could I have been to Dashi? I was just in the way …"

Long shook his head. "I'm sorry too, my son."

Dojo looked up in shocked bewilderment. "You are?"

"It seems that I was hasty in my actions to throw you out … and too stubborn to admit I was wrong to do so. So stubborn, in fact, that I never even visited the Xiaolin temple to see how you were doing. I was too proud to admit I was wrong. But I freely admit it now: I was wrong, and Dashi was right."

All Dojo could remember was how angry his father had been when he had returned to Ping-jing that day. "Wait a minute … you're supposed to be mad at me and yell at me and tell me how lazy and irresponsible I am!"

"Time is a strange thing … I stopped being angry a long time ago. I'm just glad to see you're safe."

Dojo didn't know what to say. He was angry with his dad for not telling him this sooner, and making him worry for all this time, but at the same time, he was overjoyed. He was being forgiven for something he felt he didn't deserve forgiveness for.

"I don't mean to be rude," said a blue wyvern, saving Dojo from any further awkwardness, "but we need to get back to why we're all here."

"Yes, yes, forgive me," said Long, facing the whole group. "Wuya's resurrection … Now that you're here, Dojo, you can tell us what you know. How did Wuya come back to life?"

Dojo told them what had happened over the last couple of days, from Raimundo's desertion after the Reversing Mirror showdown, to the encounter with the Huai-Ren at Jack's house.

"So …" said Long, after a long, reflective silence. "The Dragon of Air has betrayed us …"

"As long as she doesn't have the Sun Chi lantern," said a pink fairy, "then there's still time."

"Too late," said Dojo sadly. "That was one of the ones the Huai-Ren got away with."

Long made a noise that was a mixture between a sigh and a growl. "No wonder she recovered her powers," he said grimly.

"This is … disturbing news," said Mr Chow. "She has the means to continue what she started fifteen centuries ago."

"Would you say the Dragons are strong enough to attack Wuya directly?" the fairy asked Dojo.

"Uh, well …"

Again, Dojo was at a loss for words. He didn't want to say anything bad about his friends; they had all worked hard over the past few months and he had no doubt that they would be able to fight Wuya in a hand-to-hand battle … one day. But they were nowhere near Dashi's skill level; they hadn't even been able to touch Wuya when she'd first come back to life.

"It's as I feared," said Long, reading Dojo's expression correctly. "We have a dilemma … on the one hand, the Dragons are not experienced enough to fight against Wuya in a head-on attack. On the other, we must still try to get as many Shen Gong Wu as we can. Without them, we may never be able to stop her. We must still send someone to retrieve them, and the only ones qualified are the Dragons themselves …"

"Who would be willing to help my son, and the other Xiaolin warriors?" Mr Chow asked the group. There was an uncomfortable moment where everyone looked around at everyone else. No one wanted to risk meeting Wuya in a dark forest if they could avoid it.

And for once, Dojo actually felt brave. Unlike the majority of the creatures there, he had seen firsthand what Wuya could do, and he was scared, so, _so_ scared. Far more scared than the rest of the creatures could possibly be. He had barely escaped her in the Horn of Qilin cave. But he would still take the Dragons to every Shen Gong Wu he sensed, regardless. He was the only one who could. And they were his friends; he wouldn't leave them when they needed him the most. He wouldn't desert anyone again. He'd make sure of that.

"I'll go," Bai Hu volunteered.

"You _can't_," said Long sternly. "You're not just the guardian of the west. You're also the guardian of the Metal Temple and if Wuya captures you – "

"If Wuya finds the Dragons, she'll steal their jing and chi and there'll be no one left with the powers to fight against her, Shen Gong Wu aside. At least if I go with them, they'll be able to escape quickly."

"Oh, you're all still here …" This was from Befana, who had finished her healing for the moment. She walked across the group to stand next to Long. "Didn't miss anything important, did I?"

"No, not really," said Bai Hu cheerfully, a lively grin lighting up his face. "Just me signing up for the role of keep-Wuya-from-killing-the-Chosen-Ones …"

"How can you be so – carefree at a time like this?" scolded a centaur..

"It's better than being all gloomy and depressed," Bai Hu replied. "I don't mind doing what I can to help. Besides, I'm sick of staying in the Metal temple. The only time I leave is when I've got to sort out everyone else's problems, and I'm tired of that as well. There hasn't been a Metal elemental in two hundred years, and … well, not that I _wanted_ Wuya to come back, but at least there's some action going down."

"Fine," said Long, sounding exasperated, "go, but be careful, _please_."

Befana looked down at the pile of Shen Gong Wu beside the fountain. "I still have to do all of _these_ Shen Gong Wu …?" she said, mostly to herself. "That's going to take long. Oh, Omi's been healed, so if anyone wants to see him …"

"Thank you, Befana," said Mrs Chow. "We are in your debt."

"We must go to see him too," said the blue wyvern. "I haven't seen him since he left for the Xiaolin temple all those years ago. He must be so big now!"

Long nodded. "Yes … we can discuss what to do about Wuya over dinner. Let's go to see Omi."

* * *

After Omi and the others were healed, the group, minus Ashley, left for Omi's old house. Minus Ashley because her parents had freaked at the sight of a witch, a Dwarf, a blue ghost and a griffin cub (which woke up to the sound of Ashley's mum screaming in her husband's ear, "I told you ghosts were real! But you didn't believe me!") and Ashley had stayed to calm them down. Jack's parents had stayed behind in Befana's cottage also, Jack's mum frowning deeply at Jack's dad because he actually seemed to be _enjoying _all the strangeness.

The silver griffin cub followed Jack outside like a friendly kitten (and Jack wasn't too pleased to have it constantly around his heels), and Kimiko couldn't resist pointing out how cute it looked. The group arrived outside Omi's house soon after, and Omi told them about all his life in the village as he remembered it, prior to his departure for the Xiaolin temple. Shortly afterwards, Omi's parents also arrived, and Omi beamed, full of happiness at seeing them again.

And it wasn't just Mr and Mrs Chow who were happy with Omi's return. Luma Luma, Long and a whole host of different creatures had returned from their meeting at the Jing Fountain, to welcome their Xiaolin Dragon back. Clay and Kimiko were both pleased for Omi's sake, although Kimiko couldn't help wondering if her own family was okay, back in Tokyo.

But not everyone was happy to see the reunion. Jack remained slightly apart from the group, Cloudstorm the griffin never too far away from him. He couldn't remember the last time in his life when his parents had been as loving with him. His mum hadn't even hugged him when she'd been healed, just given him a cold snooty, "I'm glad you're all right, Jack." But Jack would not – could not – accept that he was jealous of Omi. Watching the fairies fly excitedly around him, the centaurs stamp their hooves in celebration, a giant blue wyvern roaring in delight, the metallic simurgh bird shaking its peacock feathers in a playful dance, Luma Luma patting him gently over the head – it was all too much. Jack would never receive that kind of a welcoming back home. Just as he'd envied Omi when Kimiko hugged him back in the lab, he now envied Omi for being the centre of so much praise.

Finally, Jack couldn't take it any more, and he turned around furiously, walking away towards where he'd left his plane. Cloudstorm cocked his feathered head slightly, and sighed.

Feeling slightly detached from the welcoming herself, Kimiko noticed Jack's departure, and she followed him.

After walking for five minutes, she asked: "What's wrong, Jack?"

Jack hadn't realised Kimiko was behind him. He stopped in his tracks, his head slightly bowed. "Nothing," he said calmly, turning to face her. She looked back at him with searching eyes that held a sincere touch of sorrow and concern.

_She's staring at me,_ he thought, feeling awkward all of a sudden. _But why would she care? She hates me._

"Are you sure?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm sure." There was nothing in his voice to suggest otherwise; but his red eyes gave away his true feelings. She could see that there was a small piece of sadness embedded inside the arrogant indifference of his heart. It was tiny, but it was there.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," she told him.

"It's _nothing_!" he snarled angrily, suddenly losing his temper. What did she know? Of course, the minute he'd lost his temper, he'd given away that he was in fact troubled by something. But all of a sudden, he didn't care what she thought. "Just drop it, okay? Leave me alone!"

"Fine, no need to bite my head off," she snapped back. "Forgive me for thinking you might actually be human like the rest of us, Spicer!"

She stomped off angrily, back in the direction of Omi's house, and Jack swore under his breath. Why had he snapped at Kimiko like that? It wasn't her fault his parents were selfish jerks. And, as much as he hated to admit it, it wasn't Omi's fault either.

In furious anger, Jack punched a nearby tree, and immediately regretted it.

The tree opened two huge, green eyes. "What da hell d'ya think you're doin', sonny?"

"Sorry," Jack apologised half-heartedly, not really in the mood to argue, especially with a plant.

An old, withered woman appeared from behind the talking tree. "You're Jack Spicer!" she yelled. "I heard the girl say so! Come on, guys, he's over here!"

Jack found himself surrounded by about twenty creatures, about half of whom were shrunken old women. The other half comprised of two sphinxes (male and female); one griffin-like creature, a great lion, a unicorn, and three centaurs. Despite still feeling upset, he _just couldn't help himself. _

"Didn't know I had a fan club," he said, grinning.

"Fan club?" snarled the unicorn. "This guy thinks he's funny! A laugh riot, he thinks he is!"

"Uh …" said Jack, his grin fading. They didn't look happy to see to him at all; they looked severely pissed off.

"We'll show _you_," growled the griffin, pounding the ground with an angry paw. Jack paled. Getting torn by lions' claws, trampled by hooves and gorged by a unicorn's horn was definitely not his idea of fun.

"Wait!" he yelled. "What did I ever do to you guys?"

"YOU OPENED WUYA'S PUZZLE BOX, YOU LITTLE PRICK!" the unicorn shouted. "AND NOW WE'RE ALL DOOMED!"

"Ah …"

* * *

Omi had lived in Ping-jing until he was seven years of age, when Long had discovered that he might have an element, the first human in a while to have an element since the Dragon of Balance had passed away a few years beforehand.

It had been a lonely life for Omi; while other children were outside playing, he was training hard, sticking to the strict regiments of the temple. He often went to Dojo for advice, and sometimes just to talk, for there were no other children at the temple. Master Fung had known it was difficult for Omi; while training and discipline was important, Omi still needed the company of children his own age. Fung had been delighted when three of the elements had been discovered in other children too.

Clay had always stood up for Omi, pretty much from the word go. He knew Omi could be very excitable at times, always talking about fighting and battles and techniques, and sometimes that meant he missed out on simple things that made life worth living. Clay liked to take things easy, and had been happy to teach Omi that you didn't always need an adventure to make life exciting. Life _was_ the adventure.

Still, if Omi had been brought up in a village of strange creatures like this, it was no surprise that he was expecting action at every turn. And that was one of Omi's strengths: it was difficult to take him by surprise when he was expecting something to happen all the time.

Clay watched as Mrs Chow held her son in a tight embrace, and gave a big smile of his own. He'd never seen the little guy so happy. He then looked at Kimiko, who seemed unhappy for some reason.

_She probably misses her family,_ he thought, remembering how she had asked about whether Wuya would attack them, while they had on their way to Ping-jing.

Kimiko was actually still annoyed with Jack, but despite that, she was still as surprised as everyone else to see him zooming through the crowd with his heli-pack whirring away, closely followed by a unicorn, three centaurs, one singa (lion), two sphinxes, and an axex; and these were eventually followed by about eight or nine old women shaking angry fists.

Long grew into a large, snake dragon, with a golden lion mane, and stood between Jack and the angry mob.

"What's going on?" he roared.

"It's his fault we're so grey and withered," said one of the old women, pointing a gnarled finger at Jack.

"And the world is covered in darkness because of him!" the unicorn said.

"Yes, he opened the Puzzle of Gui Xian!" added a centaur.

"Enough!" boomed Long. "I know all this already! But he saved Omi and my son from Wuya, and he helped the Xiaolin warriors on their way here; surely that proves that he is no longer on Wuya's side."

"That's not good enough!" bellowed the same centaur. "You know the rules, Long! That boy must be punished!"

"Please, leave him alone! It's _my_ fault."

This came from Mr Spicer, who had appeared with Mrs Spicer, Befana and Ashley. Mrs Spicer gasped.

"How so?" asked Luma Luma sleepily.

Mr Spicer took a deep breath. "I was the one who gave him the Puzzle of Gui Xian to open."

Everyone spoke at once.

"What?"

"How is this possible?"

"How could this human penetrate the Temple of Balance?"

"He's in league with her too!"

"Quiet, all of you!" snapped Befana. "Let the man speak."

Mr Spicer walked until he was in the centre of the large group. "It was my understanding that the Shen Gong Wu would be easier to find if the spirit inside the puzzle-box was released."

Mrs Spicer's face blew up into a red balloon of anger. "You promised me you wouldn't get caught up in this Shen Gong Wu nonsense!"

"I'm sorry … Let me explain. We've lived in the family house in China for twelve years. We moved from America. One day, not long after we moved, I found several Shen Gong Wu in the attic, and a record of every one that has ever existed. I discovered that my family has had several Shen Gong Wu in the family for generations, and I grew curious as to the nature of their powers. But, no matter how hard I tried, I could never get any of them to work. I studied them for years, trying to find more, but they were always so difficult to track down. But then Hilda –" Mrs Spicer's frown was a thin, narrow line of displeasure "– felt that I was spending too much time on them … So I stopped."

"What changed?" Befana asked.

"About six or seven months ago, I was visiting a friend in Hong Kong, and I was approached by an odd man in a hood. At first, I turned him away, but when he showed me the Puzzle of Gui Xian, I was fascinated, and I had to find out more. He told me there were more Shen Gong Wu to be found, and that if the Puzzle of Gui Xian was opened, I would be able to find them all. I asked him why he was helping me if he was a Shen Gong Wu collector too; but he told me that he needed me because my son Jack was the only one who would be able to open it …"

"What?" exclaimed Jack, shaking in surprise. "How would he know that?"

"I don't know, son," said Mr Spicer. "But when I asked you if you'd been able to open it, you said no, so I assumed the guy had lied to me …"

"Those black creatures," said Mrs Spicer, looking a little frightened as she remembered her encounter with the Huai-Ren, "they wanted the Shen Gong Wu, didn't they?"

"Yes," answered Long gravely. "Joseph Spicer, you _do_ realise that your actions may have doomed the entire world to an eternity of darkness and servitude?"

"Woah, that sounds gloomy," said Mr Spicer, chuckling a little. "Don't you think you're overreacting a bit? I mean, so what if Jack released a ghost? No offence, but the amount of weird creatures I've seen in this place … A ghost's _normal_ compared to them."

"That ghost," said Befana sharply, "is one of the most – if not _the_ most – dangerous Heylin warriors that has ever lived – and now she's got her body back."

"You guys need to lighten up," said Mr Spicer. "Can't you just trap her inside the puzzle-box again?"

"You honestly think it's going to be that easy?" the unicorn blurted out. "She won't be foolish enough to fall for the same trap twice. Don't you see? She's already cast the world into darkness; it's only a matter of time before she takes advantage of the confusion and conquers the entire planet."

"The entire planet? She's that powerful?"

Nearly everyone answered.

"YES!"

"Whoopsie," he said offhandedly, and Mrs Spicer grumbled, "You just _had_ to do it, didn't you? You just _had_ to start looking for them again." The Xiaolin warriors were beginning to see where Jack got his laid-back manner from, while Long was instantly reminded of Bai Hu, and gave an involuntary sigh.

"What's the problem? You _can_ fix all this, right?"

"She'll be on her guard, and extremely vigilant," Befana said. "It will be very difficult to defeat her."

"Vigilant?" Jack said, feeling the need to comment on that remark. "HA! She couldn't even guard my pudding cups."

"Don't go blaming that one on Wuya; you left your own pudding open to attack," said Ashley, smirking triumphantly at him.

Bai Hu looked intrigued, and beamed. "You made Wuya guard pudding?"

"Psh! Was her own stupid fault. She went into a hissy fit just because I tested my force-field on her and – what's so funny, stripes?"

Bai Hu was laughing, and the unicorn let out a gasp, his expression of horror mirrored by nearly every other creature there.

"She can't have liked that!" the tiger chuckled.

"Psh," said Jack again. "Who cares what _she_ thinks?"

"We found an intruder, Long!" an elf called out. Two different centaurs appeared behind him, one holding up a struggling girl in strong arms. "Probably a spy for Wuya," the elf said, sounding pleased with himself.

"That's not an intruder," said Jack in frustration, rolling his eyes. _Stupid paranoid mythical creatures._

"And how would you know?" asked the axex.

The girl transformed mechanically into a bird, freeing itself from the centaurs, and there were more cries of distress and horror.

"Calm yourselves!" Long ordered. "Will you let yourselves become alarmed by a simple shape-shifting creature, or will you act rationally and responsibly?"

"That is Jack's Chameleon-bot," added Omi.

Mr Spicer looked at the robot in astonishment. Jack's parents _had_ seen some of his robots; he normally used them to patrol the perimeter of his house. But they'd never seen the Chameleon-bot before.

"You built that? That's amazing, son!"

Jack shrugged, slightly surprised. He wasn't used to praise from anyone other than himself, especially his parents. "No biggie …"

"It is … a machine?" asked the female sphinx, eyeing the robot curiously.

Kimiko had a sudden thought. "That's another thing, Jack," she said. "How does all your equipment work when everything electrical has gone kaput?"

"_Need_ I even answer? They're all Wuya-proof."

"Wuya-proof?" exclaimed Bai Hu, rumbling with laughter. "This kid's slaying me!"

"A right comedian," said the unicorn flatly.

"And how," squawked the axex, "can your devices be 'Wuya-proof' when the rest of the world's electronics have been completely drained of their energy?"

"I had to test my inventions out on something, didn't I? How else would I be able to get the Shen Gong Wu?"

"Don't understand why they're all so uptight," Mr Spicer said. "Why didn't you tell me you were after the Shen Gong Wu, Jack?"

"Why didn't _you_?" Jack retorted, and Mr Spicer fell silent. Suddenly it felt like the temperature had dropped several degrees. "You didn't trust me … You were just using me," Jack went on, suddenly angry, "just like you always do."

Everyone else watched in silence. This was the first time either parent had seen such vibrancy, such flare from their otherwise taciturn son. Usually, he acknowledged their existence, but getting him to say more than one sentence at the dinner table required nothing short of a miracle; getting him to socialise and attend their friends' parties was outright impossible.

"That's not true," Mrs Spicer replied slowly, looking shocked and distraught, but as she looked into her son's determined eyes, she knew it would be hard to convince him otherwise.

"I'm just an object to you – just something you can show off to your upper-class friends – you don't know anything about me, do you?"

"Jack," said Mrs Spicer sadly, "I know we may not have shown it in the best way, but … we love you."

"Do you? Do you really? And what the hell are you all looking at?" Jack yelled at everyone else. Most of the creatures looked away awkwardly. "Forget it, I'm outta here," he said, flying off. Once again, he'd had enough.

"Wait!" Mrs Spicer called. "Jack!"

Kimiko realised she hadn't been wrong when she thought Jack had actually had feelings. But … whether he would ever admit this to himself remained to be seen.

* * *

Jack flew through the village, not caring about the stares he received from the creatures and people that were now present. He soon found himself at the same fork from before. The right path led up to Befana's cottage, so this time he flew left, never stopping until he reached a pool of water that shone a bright white colour. He sat down on a rock on the lake's edge, pondering and thinking.

Jack was spoilt as a child, and had been given many material possessions, but it had been no substitute for human contact. The boy became frustrated with the items he received – what good it was having the latest toys and games if you had no one to play them with? He had been so bored once, he'd fixed his dad's stereo without telling him. He'd actually enjoyed taking it apart, fixing it and adding his own modifications. And since then he had always been building things, stealing parts from other electrical appliances to make his own inventions. But this was something he had never shared with his parents at first. He had just never felt comfortable enough around them to talk about close, personal things.

Over time, he became so absorbed in building his machines that he lacked the ability to mix with other people. Having never received real love himself, he found it hard to identify with other people. He couldn't understand why everyone was so _happy_, and bright, and why they needed to socialise with other all the time. No one at school understood him – not because he couldn't speak Chinese very well, but because he was always so dark and unapproachable. And so, he focused on the one person who could truly understand him – himself. He always looked at himself in the mirror, telling himself he was superior, that he was better than everyone else. He alone deserved to be have everything the world had to offer. But did that mean he deserved to be alone?

He always prided himself on knowing everything, but he looked in the shining water, and all he could see was a confused, troubled boy; someone who didn't know what he wanted at all.

"Something the matter, young one?"

Jack didn't even look to see who had sneaked up to sit beside him. "Go away."

"I bet you're feeling sorry for yourself," the creature went on, with a slightly arrogant, all-knowing tone that Jack didn't like.

"So what? Who else is gonna feel sorry for me? Not the Xiaolin losers, that's for sure."

"You're wrong there, young one."

Jack turned his head left to see who was speaking to him. It was the griffin cub, Cloudstorm.

"But if you want to stay miserable and alone, well – that's your decision."

Jack said nothing for all of five minutes, hoping that if he ignored the silver griffin, it _would_ just fly off and leave him alone. Unfortunately, Cloudstorm wasn't to be put off by Jack's moodiness. He just stayed at Jack's side, looking back at him with annoyingly intelligent eyes.

Jack sighed. If the only way to get this thing to leave him alone was to talk …

"I don't want anyone else's pity. I've survived this long on my own. I don't need anyone dragging me down."

"But … haven't you ever wanted to join in with anyone else? To belong?"

"No," Jack lied. He'd always been different, had never quite fit in at school, and he'd taken on the attitude 'I don't care about anyone else, so leave me alone!' to get people to steer clear.

But … if for one day, he could be accepted …

_I'm just deluding myself. That would never happen …_

"What about the Dragon of Fire?" Cloudstorm asked quietly.

"What about her?"

"You like her, don't you?"

Jack scowled, wondering how this griffin had found out about this. Had these creatures been keeping really close tabs on him, or what? "Mind your own business, fluff-ball!"

Cloudstorm chuckled knowingly. "No shame in liking someone. You're at that most delightful stage of human development called puberty."

Jack's expression became softer. Talking to Cloudstorm didn't really seem as daunting as talking to his parents did. There was something about the little griffin that made him feel … comfortable. Safe.

"She doesn't even like me, so it doesn't matter."

"And there's no shame in asking for help, either."

"Let's face it … who's gonna want to help me?"

"I'll help you," said Cloudstorm loyally, rubbing his head against the end of Jack's leg like a contented cat. "I know your path ahead will be difficult; Wuya won't be easy to beat, and allies will be far and few between. Although many will claim to help the Xiaolin warriors, most are weak; and terror will cause discord amongst our ranks. They might even rally to Wuya's side, such is the greatness of their fear of her. You saw how easily fired up the creatures here were …"

Jack nodded. The mythical creatures were certainly quick to place the finger of blame on him.

"And those are the creatures we _know_ are on our side. In short, you need all the help you can get. I'll be happy to join you."

"But … don't you know who I am?"

"Of course I know, silly!"

"And you still want to help me after everything I've done?"

"It doesn't matter what you've done; to me it matters what you're going to do. The past is important; but you mustn't let that dictate your life. The most important thing is to live your life _today_, young one. Who cares what everyone else thinks? If they're angry, they're angry. But in time … I know that they'll forgive you."

At first Jack grimaced, about to reply that he didn't _want_ anyone's forgiveness, but the little griffin spoke sincerely, as if he really believed in what he was saying. And, even though the griffin was young – only five years old in human years – he looked like he knew so much, like he was an ancient creature of thousands of years gone by.

It was strange, Jack knew. But every time he looked into Cloudstorm's crystal blue eyes, shining with a kind wisdom that was far beyond his years, Jack felt that he could trust him.

"Thanks … I guess …"

"I have to look after you, you know. You have great strength, Jack Spicer, and it's my job to make sure you realise that."

"Why …? I don't understand …"

Why did this griffin cub feel that he had to protect him? He'd never even met him before today.

Cloudstorm didn't answer. Instead he said: "Remember, true power doesn't come from exploiting or subjugating others. True power comes from – " he raised his right eagle's foot and placed it over his chest – "in here."

"What are you talking about? I haven't got any inner power. I can't fight like the Xiaolin warriors …" Jack was actually willing to admit that Wuya had been right about him. He was a useless incompetent …

But Cloudstorm had to disagree again. "The best fighter not only conquers danger, but conquers themselves. You have great inner strength. But you rely so much on your machines that it hasn't had a chance to surface yet."

"But … "

"Physical strength isn't everything. One with strong willpower will always triumph over one who is weak-minded. Don't forget that. If you believe in yourself, and have strength of mind, then you will be strong in body also.

"Just remember this too: whenever you need help or guidance, don't be afraid to look deep within yourself for the answers. When all hope is lost, you can always call upon your inner strength."

"Are you talking about chi energy?"

"I'm talking about much more than that. Haven't you ever wondered why you're able to be so inventive? People have already tried to take advantage of you for that."

"Yeah … Wuya …"

"No, actually … The whole time you were with Wuya's spirit, you were being watched by a creature named DarkClaw."

"What? Why? And how do you know this?"

"DarkClaw was the one who sacrificed the Third-Arm Sash and Jet Bootsu and left them for you to find, so that you would be able to continue with the showdowns. He was the one who recruited Tubbimura to steal the Puzzle of Gui Xian from the Temple of Balance; and he was the one who gave the Puzzle to your father, knowing that you would be able to open it."

"But how did he know that I'd be the one to open it?"

"Simple," said Cloudstorm, once again looking as if he knew not only everything that had happened in ancient times, but everything that would come to be, too. "You created it."

**

* * *

**

**_More notes_**

_**axex:** Egyptian griffin, which differs from other griffins in that it has lion front feet instead of eagle front feet._

_**simurgh**: a Persian winged monster in the shape of a bird, with metallic feathers, the head of a dog (although it's sometimes shown with a human head) and a peacock's tail._

_**singa: **a mythical creature that looks like a serpentine dragon with elephant's tusks. It usually appears in the form of a lion. (singa means lion in Malay)._

_**sphinx:** Just want to differentiate between the Greek sphinx and Egyptian sphinx. Both have the body of a lion and the head of a human. However, Greek sphinxes were female, and had wings. Egyptian sphinxes were usually male, and usually did not have wings. It was the Greek sphinx who asked the riddles to travellers as they passed by._


	14. The Search for Thoth

**Uploaded: 13th March 2005

* * *

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**Chapter 14: The Search for Thoth**

Mr and Mrs Chow were both simple people, Mr Chow one of the few human farmers in the village. Although their possessions were few, they were more than happy to let Clay stay in their home. Befana took Kimiko in, hoping to gain a little trust … and she also needed help with a couple of other patients. She told her she'd always needed a nurse, but it was such a demanding job that no one ever stayed long. Kimiko didn't quite know what to say to that.

Jack and Ashley's families were staying with two of the other village inhabitants. Luma Luma cooked a giant's meal for the entire village, and everyone enjoyed an outdoor gathering for supper. Jack skipped dinner; the current mood he was in meant that he didn't want to be with anyone. Not even Cloudstorm could coax him into going, and therein lied the problem. Cloudstorm. Jack's thoughts were racing after what he had found out.

_What did he mean, when he told me all those things? How could he know all those things? Why is he telling them to me? Shouldn't he be telling the Xiaolin dodos about all this, and not me? Why do I feel so comfortable around him? Why does he trust me? Why do I trust him …?_

Jack stayed up late, outside, thinking, while absently repairing and building his robots.

The next morning, Jack returned to the Jing Spring, the large lake he'd been to the previous evening. He hoped to find Cloudstorm there. He still didn't know how the griffin knew all the things he'd been saying, or why he trusted him, but he did know that Cloudstorm had much more to say. How could he, Jack, have created the puzzle-box? It didn't make any sense. Unless there was some kind of magic he had used to jump back in time. That was the only thing he could think of. Maybe the only way to beat Wuya in the present was to beat her in the past …

Cloudstorm didn't disappoint him.

"I knew you'd come back here," he told him.

"Of course! The things you said last night – how could they be true?"

"You must have a little faith, young one, and just trust that they _are_ true."

"I don't buy it," Jack said stubbornly, although he was smiling a little. "And why are you calling me young one? You're only five years old!"

"A person's age does not denote a person's wisdom. I call you young because you still have many things to learn. Come, follow me."

Cloudstorm took him a tiny distance to the edge of the great lake. The water glowed with a throbbing greyish colour.

"Did you bring your inactive Shen Gong Wu …?"

There was a brief pause and then Jack said, "Yeah. Why?"

"Take them out."

Jack emptied out his pockets, revealing the Vial of Light, the Stallion Medallion, the Wolf's Fang and the Feather of Feng Huang.

"Close your eyes."

Unknown to Jack, Cloudstorm picked them up in his beak, one at a time and placed them on the edge of the fountain that was a bit of a way behind them, round the other side of some trees, so that Jack couldn't see them. They glowed a soft golden colour.

When Cloudstorm returned, he asked, "Can you feel the energy?"

"No, not really," said Jack, a little frown appearing. Was he _supposed_ to able to feel anything?

"Which direction are the Shen Gong Wu in?"

Upon some kind of inner reflex, Jack pointed to the left. When he opened his eyes, and Cloudstorm led him to the clearing, he was astonished to see he had been pointing directly at them the whole time.

"See, I told you you had great inner strength."

"Could just be a fluke …"

"Believe what you want. But it's no accident. The Puzzle of Gui Xian wasn't the only Shen Gong Wu you made."

Jack was getting overly excited. "Does this mean I can sense Shen Gong Wu like Wuya and Dojo?"

"Possibly … that glowing substance you see is the planet's essence, leaked up through the earth. I think you're able to sense these Shen Gong Wu right now because they're in such close proximity to it. But I'm not sure if you can sense any others outside of here …"

Jack nodded. Even if he had made several Shen Gong Wu without realising, he'd never been able to sense them before. He wouldn't have needed Wuya around if he had.

"I need you to do a favour for me," said Cloudstorm. "Take the Vial of Light in your hands, and hold it out over the fountain." Jack complied. "Concentrate your will, focus your power, and the SGW will do the rest."

_Focus my … what? Whatever …_

Jack closed his eyes again, and breathed out deeply. He tried to concentrate as best as he could; and his hands shone with an orange glow. He opened his eyes, and was startled when he saw a tall pillar of white light shoot upwards from the Vial of Light.

"You've just infused the Vial with jing from the fountain," Cloudstorm informed him.

"Come again? Jing?"

"Jing is life essence, young one. Every life form has this essence within them. The planet essence is the same substance, only a more crude and ancient form."

"And … what does that mean exactly?"

"It's now been activated."

_So that's what they look like when they first become active._ Jack thought, with quiet awe. _That beam of light shoots up … _His astonishment soon turned to panic when he realised what having a newly active Shen Gong Wu meant.

"Wait – that's gonna attract Wuya right here!"

"Relax, young one. This is an isolated place, positioned over an area of pure yinyang essence, which masks the energies of any active Shen Gong Wu, and also shields us from the outer interference."

"So … Wuya can't sense them? Not even the Horn of Qilin?"

"That's right. Actually … " Cloudstorm grinned slyly. "I need your help, young one. Did you meet Drongo yesterday?"

"Drongo?"

"He's the great blue wyvern. He usually guards the pavilion. Ever wondered what was in there?"

"Can't say I have," Jack said honestly.

"Shen Gong Wu, young one."

"Shen Gong –?"

"Yes."

Jack looked at the huge pile of Shen Gong Wu next to the fountain. He groaned inwardly, realising what the griffin was about to ask …

"Drongo guards those Shen Gong Wu. Now that Wuya's been resurrected, we may need to use them. But to wait for them to activate naturally – well, that could take months. Far too long to wait. Wuya will have taken over the world by then. Not only that, she also possesses the ability to infuse SGW with jing … and, with the Sun Chi Lantern in her possession, I suspect she will have collected more than enough jing for herself."

"What's the Sun Chi Lantern got to do with anything?"

"Jing is used to make chi energy …" he said, trailing off. "Wuya … can drain people of their jing, provided she's taken away their chi first."

"Oh … I guess you want me to activate all those Shen Gong Wu, huh."

"Please. Long wanted to give some of them to you all, but they'll be more useful if they're active and it's much safer if they activate here."

"I get to keep some?" Jack rubbed his hands. "Now you're talking!"

* * *

Later that day, when Long summoned the others to the Jing Fountain, they were surprised to see Jack already there.

"Phew," he was saying to Cloudstorm, "that was harder than I thought. But I got it done!"

Kimiko, Clay, Ashley and Omi sat down on the grass, around the fountain and in front of the Shen Gong Wu.

"What are those?" Kimiko asked. Befana was standing up, next to her. "Shen Gong Wu?"

"Yes," smiled Long. "Jack was helping us with them …"

Clay raised an eyebrow. Jack? Helping out? Now he'd seen everything. Didn't mean he was going to trust him, though. It would a lot more than that for Jack to get in Clay's good books.

"Don't give me that look, cowboy. I just made all these Shen Gong Wu active for you guys, so I think I should get a reward." He looked up expectantly at Long, who was in dragon-form. "Don't _you_?"

"Well," said Long, "you can keep a couple, as long as you don't use them irresponsibly."

"Jack?" said Clay. "Using Shen Gong Wu irresponsibly? Never!"

"Shut up, Clay. Okay, here's the lowdown …" Jack quickly went through them, holding up each one as he named them. "We've got the Boar Basket, which has whatever food you like inside; Bai Hu's Key, which allows you to open any door; the Shining Darkness, which heals spiritual injuries; the Flora Flute, which lets you talk to plants … Uh … can't remember the rest. There's too many."

Cloudstorm took over, and named the Shen Gong Wu that Jack took from the pile. "The Revealing Lens, Sunbird Down, Hearing Earring, Ox's Hoof, Shining Darkness, Ruby Tiger, Bag of Tricks, Dragon's Mask, Mouth of Saiping, Scarf of Scares, Porta Pouch … and the Snake Charm."

"That _is _a lot of Shen Gong Wu," said Omi.

"And they're all active?" asked Kimiko.

"Yep. Did it myself."

"I have to say," said Befana, somewhat begrudgingly, "I'm impressed. It would have taken me a lot longer."

"Heh, you have to agree that I rock _now_. Oh yeah – there's the Transforming Tea-Leaf, but I didn't do that one. That's the magic carpet Bai Hu was riding."

"Pick one to keep," Long said to the group. "They may help you against Wuya."

Clay immediately picked the Boar Basket. Kimiko chose the Key of Bai Hu, a golden key; Omi chose the Hearing Earring, a hoop-shaped earring, and Ashley took the Porta Pouch. Jack picked up the Sunbird Down, a small jacket-shaped item made of white feathers.

"Now …" said Long, looking very serious. "Under no circumstances are you to attack Wuya directly. You must avoid her at all costs."

"What about the Shen Gong Wu?" asked Jack. "We still need to look for them, don't we?"

"You must be very careful. We must try not to let her acquire too many. If she gathers them all in one place, the consequences will be dire. But you must still be extremely careful when collecting the Shen Gong Wu. If Wuya captures you, she _will_ kill you. She won't hesitate just because you're young."

"What about Raimundo?" Kimiko asked.

"The Dragon of Air …? His fate was sealed the moment he brought Wuya back to life. There is no hope for him."

"I don't believe that!" Kimiko yelled, standing up in righteous anger.

"Sometimes the truth is hard to accept, young one, but accept it you must. He is gone."

"I can't believe you're just giving up on him! We've gotta go after him!"

"No!" Long said sharply. "Stay away from Wuya, or she'll kill you too!"

Kimiko stopped in her tracks. "Raimundo's … dead?" Omi and Clay both looked up at her; they'd never heard her voice sound so small.

Long was about to answer, but Befana shook her head, overruling him. "Air's chi and jing are still separate, Long. I'm … still trying to figure out _why_ Wuya hasn't absorbed them yet …"

"Good luck," snorted Jack. "I could never figure out what that woman was thinking. She always kept me in the dark."

"Whatever it is," said Befana, "we need to be on guard. Don't fight Wuya if you help it, and _don't_ provoke her. Yes, that means _you_, Jack Spicer."

"Moi?"

"Yes, YOU. I've heard what you're like, and frankly I'm surprised Wuya didn't leave you for someone else sooner. Don't stay to gloat or taunt if you win a showdown. Just leave right away. Okay?"

"All right, no need to lecture me. Sheesh. I know what Wuya's like too; I had the woman shrieking at me in my basement for the last six months, for crying out loud."

"Heads up, gang!" Dojo came slithering in, Bai Hu walking beside him. "Another Shen Gong Wu's just become active!"

"What one?" asked Jack.

"It's called the Dog's Nose."

"You're gonna help us find SilverClaw, aren't you Bai Hu?" Kimiko said.

"Yeah," Bai Hu replied. The only Shen Gong Wu he could sense was the Horn of Qilin; he couldn't locate any others, at least not without help, so the Dog's Nose would be useful for the warriors to have. "Once we find the Dog's Nose, we'll be looking for Thoth. One of the sphinxes said that SilverClaw went to see him recently, so that seems like a good place to start."

"You're coming too, aren't you, Cloud?" Jack said.

"Yes, I'm needed," the griffin replied.

"Oh, that's right …" Befana took the Bag of Tricks (a small brown satchel) and fitted it around Cloudstorm's body. She bent down and put a glass bottle containing a clear liquid inside the bag, and then stood up to face the others. "I've given Cloudstorm a bottle with Movement potion, so that if anyone does get frozen again, you'll be able to heal it right away."

"Cool," said Kimiko.

"Okay!" said Dojo. "Chop-chop, we've got a Shen Gong Wu to find!"

Everyone got up, except Ashley, who had remained oddly silent for the whole day. "I'm, er … gonna sit this one out."

"Why?" asked Omi.

Ashley looked tired, and fed up. But mostly tired. It almost looked like she had given up on everything. "I … just don't feel like looking for a Shen Gong Wu right now …"

Jack shrugged. "Forget about her. Let's get going."

"Okay …" said Kimiko worryingly.

* * *

"We're lost," said Ricky, looking around at the dry desert that surrounded them. There was nothing but sand, sand and sand. "It's official. We are LOST."

"We're not lost," said Uru, sitting calmly on the sand. He drew a line in the sand with a dried stick. "Not lost at all."

"Does this look like Ping-jing to you? I think not, matey." He kicked the ground, sending little flecks of sand flying. "We're stuck in the middle of nowhere and that freakin' Coyote's off gallivanting with the Egyptian Gods!"

"But you know how Coyote's Mystic Fog works. It takes us where we need to be, not where we want to be."

"And why would we need to be here, huh? To admire the _spectacular_ view?"

There was a squawking noise, and a giant peacock appeared. It was a junglebird, tied to a rope, and a girl was leading it. She took the bird up some stony steps, which led down to the only sign of civilisation in the area, Thoth's underground temple.

"Hey, Marcia. Is 'Yote finished?"

Marcia began to stroke the junglebird. It was a large creature, about the size of an ostrich, but with dazzling bright pink feathers.

"Not quite," she replied. "He told me to go back outside. We should watch out for trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

As if answering the question, the junglebird screeched in alarm; and a pink shield appeared over the group.

"What's going on?" asked Uru sternly, standing up. "Why's she activated the camouflage?"

"Don't know …" Marcia tried to soothe the junglebird. "Please, calm down, Flor. What's got you so spooked?"

"I think it's that purple portal …" said Ricky, looking directly ahead. The portal was not far from beginning of the temple stairs. "Looks like magic … but who's using it? Oh, it's only a couple of goblins. Who's that?" he added, when a new person emerged from the portal.

"That," growled Uru, "is Wuya."

"That's her? Doesn't look so tough to me."

"Don't be fooled," warned Uru quietly. "She's very powerful."

Ricky almost jumped a mile in the air when he saw the next person to exit the portal.

"_Raimundo_? What the HELL is HE doing here?"

The magic of the junglebird's shield allowed them to remain hidden from anyone outside, so that they could hear what going on outside, but the outsiders couldn't hear _them_. But they wouldn't be able to hear anything if Ricky kept opening his big mouth.

"Quiet!" shushed Uru, as he strained to eavesdrop.

"… sure Thoth knows where SilverClaw is?" Wuya asked one of the goblins. Mudo'ip was its name, Uru believed.

The goblin nodded. "Oh, yes, your Highness. SilverClaw was here herself not too long ago."

Wuya disappeared down the stairs, and Raimundo hissed at the goblins: "You're dead meat if you're lying."

Both goblins shook their heads vigorously, and ran down the stairs. Raimundo moved his head around, and for a second, Ricky could have _sworn_ Raimundo was staring straight at him. It felt like their eyes had locked together … The moment passed, though, and soon Raimundo followed the others down.

Uru had to hold Ricky back, to prevent him from following as well. Ricky was shorter and had a smaller build than Uru, so it wasn't hard; but Ricky was determined to find out what was going on.

"I'm not letting you get yourself killed Ricky. Another day, perhaps, but not today."

Ricky relaxed, and Uru let him go. Ricky paced around frantically. "But why isn't Raimundo with the other Xiaolin Dragons? Have they been killed or what?"

"I don't know," said Uru, slowly and calmly, hoping to make Ricky think rationally. "But charging in like a fool is not going to get us the answers we need. We should wait until it's safe."

"But Uru," said Marcia. "Coyote's still in there …"

"…"

Ricky smashed the ground with an almighty kick, sending a whole heap of sand flying. "Dammit! What are we supposed to do? Just sit here and _hope_ that everything's gonna be all right?"

"…"

_Raimundo, you **fool** … What the hell are you thinking?_

* * *

The Dog's Nose, it turned out, was in Egypt – inside Thoth's temple, in fact. A lucky break, because the Xiaolin warriors would be able to kill two birds with one stone, and finally find out where SilverClaw was hiding. Along the way, Kimiko was finally able to remove the bandage on her arm, as Jack used the bright liquid from the Vial of Light to heal her. Before they left, Jack had also given them the Puzzle of Gui Xian in exchange for the Orb of Tornami, on the condition that he could study the strange box whenever he had the time.

The Xiaolin warriors had taken along some of their old Shen Gong Wu to help find the Dog's Nose, and it wasn't until they arrived outside Thoth's temple that Jack found out it was useless to him. It allowed someone to sense the location of other Shen Gong Wu. Dojo explained that it changed colour from blue to red, depending on how close you were to the nearest active Shen Gong Wu, and that could make all the difference in a showdown.

Cloudstorm elected to remain outside the temple. It was Jack, most of all, who was upset by this decision, but the griffin always seemed to have a good reason for doing everything, even if he didn't always explain himself. After walking down the stairs and walking through the entrance, the group entered a passageway full of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs on the walls, and the beeps from Jack's detecting machine steadily grew more frequent. It was dark, and once again Jack had brought a few of his Jack-bots to help light the way. He was armed with his Mega Ray Cannon, ready to blast any Huai-Ren that might appear. The Xiaolin warriors didn't object to this; it was nice having Jack on their side for once, and Bai Hu seemed to be taking a real interest in his inventions.

"No sign of Wuya or her creepy minions," Kimiko said, as they approached the end of the corridor. There was a large stone door at the end.

"Yet," said Clay.

"Don't jinx things," said Dojo.

A golden sphinx was sitting in front of the stone door. She didn't move any part of her body as the group came closer, except her eyes, which gave each of them a cool, unsettling gaze.

"Not another one," muttered Jack. He hadn't got along with the sphinxes of Ping-jing; they had kept bothering his Chameleon-bot to the point where it had suffered a massive breakdown.

"Greetings, my name is Ember," she said, acknowledging their arrival with a slight incline of her head. She rolled all her 'r's. "I had a feeling I'd get visitors. The Dog's Nose is active. I know you fight for the Xiaolin order. I cannot let you pass, however, until you solve a riddle."

"Oh, come on!" Dojo moaned. He was definitely feeling like his old vocal self again. If he had known his father had forgiven him, he would have returned to Ping-jing ages ago. "We're on a quest to save the world, and you're giving us a _quiz_? Give us a break!"

"I cannot go against my master's wishes," the sphinx said calmly. "I must tell a riddle to all who wish to go past this point."

"You're not even going to let Bai Hu pass?" said Dojo. "He's a real big-wig, y'know. Guardian of the West and all that. He's got a lot of friends in high places."

Ember looked down at the floor in uncertainty. "I … can't … go against my nature … It is a sphinx's highest honour to protect and guard for others …"

"It's okay, we'll try to solve it," said Bai Hu affably. "Don't want any fuss. I don't want to be treated differently."

"What happens if we get it wrong?" Kimiko asked.

"I will be forced to kill you."

"You'd go up against all of us?" snorted Jack. "Yeah, right …"

"Exactly right. I wouldn't be able to stop all of you, especially since you have the Guardian with you, so you really have nothing to lose."

"Very well, we shall solve your riddle," said Omi confidently.

"Yeah, fine, let's get this over with," said Jack. "Should be no problem for someone with a genius mind."

"Listen carefully, then." The sphinx recited this riddle slowly and clearly:

**_"A visitor to a house sees a portrait of a person, and asks the owner who it is. The owner replies in rhyme:_**

**'_Uncles and brothers have I none,  
but that man's father is my father's son.'_**

**_Who is portrayed in the picture?"_**

Both Omi and Clay closed their eyes to think, and Bai Hu frowned in concentration.

"Duhhh …" said Jack, after a brief silence.

"So much for your genius mind," said Kimiko scornfully.

"Let's hear _your_ suggestion, then!"

"Uhh …"

"Ex-actly."

"Quiet, I am trying to think …!" Omi scolded before returning to deep concentration. " 'Uncles and brothers … he has no uncles or brothers …"

Dojo was going round in circles. "That man's father … is the father … father's son … man's father … in the picture … father …"

"Let's see," said Kimiko, ready to try again. "The man in the picture … is who we need to find …"

Clay opened his eyes. "His son."

Everyone looked at him, even Omi. "What?" said Jack.

"It's the owner's son."

"Correct," said Ember, standing up.

Jack was amazed. This _hick_ had beaten the rest of them to the punch in a mind-boggling riddle. "How'd you work that one out, cowboy?"

Clay gave one of his victory smiles. He'd just got one over on Jack again. "I'll explain it to ya later, Jack. Should be no problem for a genius like yaself."

"Wise guy."

"Beware," Ember warned sternly. "The Moshu-Ren who passed here causes pain and death without compunction."

"Wuya's here?" asked Clay.

"You let her pass?" added Omi.

"She solved my riddle," Ember answered simply, although she added in a more fearful tone, "but she would have killed me if I did not let her through, regardless of the outcome."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "If Wuya's already here, we could be walking straight into a trap."

"I don't think so …" said Ember thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"She didn't come here for the Dog's Nose," she explained. "She came here because my master has knowledge that she desperately seeks. I think she may have left already, she had this teleportation Shen Gong Wu. There was a human child possessing the element of Wind with her. She may have sent him to search for the Dog's Nose once it revealed itself."

"We should be all right with just Raimundo," said Kimiko.

"We should get going, we'll be sitting ducks if we don't keep moving," said Dojo. "Besides, we won't get anywhere by just standing here."

Everyone left for the door, except Jack, who lingered with the sphinx.

"I don't suppose you know where the Dog's Nose is? Thoth doesn't have it, does he?"

"No he doesn't … I know where it is, but it's difficult to reach without guidance; there's a dead-end which cannot be bypassed unless you know the correct stone to push, and I cannot leave my post."

"C'mon," said Jack, "this is more important than some stupid guarding post. You gonna let some stupid witch scare you silly?"

The hesitation came again. "I …"

"Let's go, Jack!" Dojo called.

"Yeah, sure." He followed the others through the door.

Ember watched them leave.

_I hope the master's okay …_

* * *

_Named this Greek sphinx after one of my friend's cats. A shy black cat. _

_**flor **– flower (Portuguese)_

_Um, that's pretty much it._

_Oh wait, since there's a showdown next chapter … have to do one of these. Helps me keep track of who's got what._

_**Xiaolin**_

_**Omi, Clay, Kimiko:** Sapphire Dragon, Sword of the Storm, Monkey Staff, Tongue of Saiping, Eye of Dashi, Third-Arm Sash, Helmet of Jong, Shroud of Shadows, Jet Bootsu, Puzzle of Gui Xian, Boar Basket, Key of Bai Hu, Hearing Earring. (13)_

_**The Ping-jing SGW:** Ox's Hoof, Shining Darkness, Ruby Tiger, Revealing Lens, Flora Flute, Mouth of Saiping, Scarf of Scares, Dragon's Mask, Snake Charm, Shining Darkness, Transforming Tea-Leaf, Mengmei Chime. (11)_

_**Jack:** Changing Chopsticks, Tangle-Web Comb, 9 Dragon Ring, Mantis Flip Coin, Falcon's Eye, Lotus Twister, Horn of Qilin, Stallion Medallion, Wolf's Fang, Feather of Feng Huang, Vial of Light, Sunbird Down, Orb of Tornami. (13)_

_**Cloudstorm: **Bag of Tricks_

_**Ashley:** Porta Pouch_

_**Heylin**_

_**Wuya, Rai:** Golden Tiger Claws, Serpent's Tail, Reversing Mirror, Sun Chi Lantern, Heart of Jong, Longi Kite, Star Hanabi, Fist of Tebigong, Two Ton Tunic, Magic Magnet, False Fleece, Rabbit's Foot. (12)_

_**DarkClaw **… has a Shen Gong Wu which I haven't named yet._


	15. A Nose for Trouble

**Uploaded: 15th March 2005**

**

* * *

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**Chapter 15: A Nose for Trouble**

"Deceased end," said Omi, staring at a blank stone wall.

"_Dead_ end," corrected Kimiko.

"The Dog's Nose is right ahead," said Dojo. He looked around at the walls, and they were full of stone bricks … any one of them could have been the trigger that Ember described.

Jack turned to face Bai Hu. "Can't you teleport us through?"

" 'Fraid not," said the tiger. "I need to know where exactly I'm teleporting."

"No problem," Jack said, taking out the Falcon's Eye. He placed it on Bai Hu's face. "Falcon's Eye!"

"Hmm … it's a room full of coffins," Bai Hu said, looking through the eye-piece. He sliced the air, and soon they were inside a chamber filled with lines of standing sarcophaguses along the walls, just as he had described.

"It's definitely in here," said Jack, and Dojo nodded.

"Let's hurry," said Bai Hu. "We still need to find Thoth."

"Wonder where Evil Cackles is?" Jack said, as they started through the room.

"She's tending to something more important right now," a cool voice answered. Raimundo was floating lazily above a sarcophagus right at the end of the room, the Longi Kite on his back. "But don't worry, she'll deal with you soon enough."

"Raimundo!" Clay said.

Kimiko began to approach him, but Omi held her back.

"Wait," he said, his tone flat and serious, his eyes narrowed in distrust. "There is something wrong …"

Something _had_ changed. Omi could see it in Raimundo's eyes. Gone was the uncertainty Omi had seen when they had fought in the Horn of Qilin cave. Raimundo had been putting on a front back then, and Omi had gotten the feeling that he never really wanted to fight; but now … his eyes … though they were forest green, they held a darkness Omi had never seen before.

Omi's qualms were soon validated; a cruel smirk appeared on the older boy's face.

"Raimundo …?" Kimiko said. This was the first time she and Clay had seen him since he had brought Wuya back to life, and, although they were both still angry, Kimiko had decided to give him another chance. They couldn't stay mad at him forever, or he'd never come back …

He pulled out a round black object where everyone could see it. "Looking for _this_?"

"The Dog's Nose," Dojo confirmed.

Raimundo looked down at Jack. "So it's true," he said, smiling nastily. "You really _did_ join them. How _sad_ …"

"_Get down from there_," Jack said tersely. He couldn't care less about Raimundo; if he wanted to take orders from a screeching old hag, that was his business. But if he was going to get in their way, he would have to pay the consequences.

"I don't have to do anything you tell me, Spicer."

Bai Hu growled. So this was the lost Dragon of the Wind …

"Oh yeah?" replied Jack, aiming his big gun up at him. "This Ray Cannon says you do. I'm sure you remember it from the last time we met."

"I haven't forgotten," said Raimundo, looking bored. "You are _so_ predictable."

"Rai …" began Kimiko. "We're all really worried about you. We don't have to fight … We want you to come back …"

"Come back? I've got everything I ever dreamed. Can you guys honestly say you've got your elements completely under control? _I don't think so_."

"Listen to me," said Bai Hu firmly, "Wuya will _kill_ you once she finds the Wind temple. Maybe even before. She's just toying with you."

"If that's what she wants, who am I to stand in her way?"

"Raimundo …" said Omi worriedly. This didn't sound like the Raimundo he knew … Was he really so angry with them that he was willing to risk his life?

"What are you saying?" exclaimed Kimiko. "That you don't care if she kills you just to get what she wants?"

Raimundo scowled. "I don't have to justify myself to you. I'm not a student at your stupid temple any more."

He snapped his fingers, and several dragon-like Huai-Ren appeared through the ground, completely surrounding the group. Unlike the other Huai-Ren they had fought, they were brightly coloured. One half of them were a soft pink, the other half a dark purple. They all had the same basic shape, bat-like wings, huge, curved claws and muscular limbs, long snouts with sharp teeth, and cold reptilian slit-shaped eyes.

"Uh oh," said Dojo. He had seen these ones before.

"Surrender, and I'll go easy on you guys."

Kimiko frowned. "You ought to know us better than that, Rai."

"Your call," he said. He threw a careless laugh into the air. "Attack them!"

"Ting!" said the Huai-Ren.

Everyone ducked and dodged, except Jack, who activated his blue force-field around himself. Several silvery white ting beams ricocheted off his shield and bounced throughout the room, and everyone scattered; even Raimundo was forced to dive out of the way.

"Hold your fire!" he ordered.

"What the – " said Bai Hu.

"Don't do that!" scolded Clay, once the beams had fizzled out.

"You idiot!" growled Dojo, staring at Bai Hu, who'd tried to avoid one and been hit by another two at once. "You hit Bai Hu! Our ride home's GONE!"

"It's not my fault!" Jack insisted. He hadn't used the shield to protect against the Stop blasts before, so he hadn't been sure what would happen. "It's supposed to absorb energy, not repel it!"

"Just don't do it any more," Kimiko sighed. This was just another example of Jack being presumptuous and eagerly trying things out without thinking. But Jack wasn't finished.

"Fortunately, I, Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, possess Movement potion!" he said, holding the bottle up dramatically. "I managed to get off Cloudstorm before we went inside. Pretty neat, huh?"

"But … you are not evil," said a confused Omi. "You are helping _us _…"

"Quiet, Baldy, you're ruining my moment. Anyhoo, you can shoot all ya like," he said, sticking out his tongue at the nearest Huai-Ren, "but you're not gonna get _me_!"

The Huai-Ren growled at Jack. "Ting!" – the bottle vibrated – s_mash! _– the bottle shattered in Jack's hands, spilling potion all over the floor – and Jack was completely flabbergasted.

"What? They ting-ed the anti-ting thing! That just ain't right …"

"Do you always have to announce your name with everything you do before you do it?" Omi asked irritably. Maybe they _would_ have been better off with Jack being on Wuya's side, since he seemed to bungle things on a regular basis.

"Yeah," said Kimiko grumpily, "that's like, a major villain weakness, giving away plans before carrying them out."

"You'd think that stupid witch would have put it in a more durable bottle," grumbled Jack.

"What witch?" Raimundo interjected.

"None ya business, Raymond!" Jack snapped.

"They are looking at us strangely," Omi said worriedly. The Huai-Ren were all giving the group quizzical stares, as if unsure whether these humans actually posed a threat.

"Don't just stand there! Attack them!" Raimundo repeated, sounding extremely angry this time. "And this time, try not to hit ME!"

The Huai-Ren ran towards them, deciding to get closer this time before attacking.

"They look different," remarked Jack, flying up to avoid another ting blast.

"They're elemental ones," frowned Dojo, slithering around on the floor in the most evasive way he could. "The purple ones are Lightning and the pink ones are Wood. Eye of Dashi won't work very well on the Lightning-based ones."

"Then we'll just have to take them out the old-fashioned way!" yelled Kimiko, adding a glass-piercing battle cry. "It's payback time, you freaks! FIRE!" She leapt through the air and did a flying-kick on one of the Wood dragon's faces, successfully knocking it out and down to the ground.

Jack blinked. "Is she always this incensed? I mean, even at the temple?"

"Yep," replied Clay, calmly watching as Kimiko single-handedly knocked down three others in the same fashion. "I guess she's still mad at Raimundo for leavin' us. Don't blame 'er; I'm still riled maself."

"Mad at _me_?" Raimundo snapped. "You jerks never liked me. I'm the one who should be mad at you!"

"That's not true," said Clay. Kimiko continued to attack the oncoming aggressors. "We may not 'ave always seen eye ta eye, but we were always there for each other."

"That's not the way I remember it." Raimundo landed on the ground, and the Huai-Ren temporarily ceased advancing once more. "Everyone's always sticking up for Omi." Sarcasm filled his voice. "Oh, he's the great expert, so he's automatically right in everything and perfect in every way. And he's absolutely _adorable_ … Yeurgh, it's enough to make me puke."

_Guess I'm not the only one who's jealous of cue ball,_ Jack thought. _Still, that's no reason to suck up to hag-face._

Omi himself remained silent. Anything he said now would probably aggravate matters, since Raimundo was angriest with him. He had tried to apologise before, and even that hadn't helped. But, he also knew that there would be no persuading Raimundo now … That darkness didn't seem to want to let him go. He could see the darkness was making Raimundo bubble with irrational anger … But what could he do about it?

"You're the one who's the jerk." This was from Kimiko. "We _were_ your friends, Rai. I don't know why you would think otherwise. We helped each other, with chores, and training, and we all learned together. And you … stabbed us in the back … You threw it all away. I'm not going to pretend I understand your reasons, but …" She sighed. "It's not too late, Raimundo."

Raimundo sneered. "I don't need you any more. I'm more powerful now. Wuya helped me discover my true talents."

Jack had to jump in with a taunt. "Oh-ho-ho! Really? And what would those be? Playing Fetch, and being a lapdog to a screaming banshee? Because I've been there and bought the T-shirt. And I've got news for you – that's not something to be proud of."

"Fool," Raimundo spat. "I could kill you right now, if I wanted. But I was told not to use my powers outside of the palace … at least not yet."

Kimiko and Clay both frowned at him. Surely he was bluffing?

Jack wasn't impressed in the slightest. "Yeah, _right_. You're so _full_ of hot air, Wind-boy."

Raimundo finally snapped. "Grr! Get them, NOW!"

"Time to rock 'n' roll," said Kimiko.

Jack nodded. "Let's boogie." He pushed a button on his wrist-watch, and several tiny Jack-shaped robots came out of compartments within the larger bronze Jack-bots.

"What are _those_?" Kimiko asked flatly. Once again, the Huai-Ren were baffled by this weird show of technology. Raimundo frowned, waiting for Jack to explain his latest creation.

"They're my mini-Jacks," Jack told them with a wide smile. "Just a little something I thought of last night." They all looked like a younger version of Jack, had blue fuzzy pom-poms, and they were all dancing and chanting in his voice:

"Go Jack-Jack, go Jack-Jack, GO! Go Jack-Jack, go Jack-Jack, GO!"

"Figures …" sighed Clay.

Kimiko made an annoyed sound of disgust. "You are _so_ conceited. Did you _have_ to bring those things?"

Jack looked insulted. "You guys obviously know nothing about psychological warfare. It's all about psyching the enemy out."

"They're emotionless monsters," Kimiko reminded him. "They don't care about your stupid robots."

"Hey – you have _your_ way of fighting, and I have mine," he told her. He ordered his larger robots to fire their laser beams, while firing flames with his Ray Cannon at the Wood Huai-Ren. Omi used the Jet Bootsu and weaved in and out, through and between the creatures to confuse them and divert their attention; while Clay used the Third-Arm Sash together with Earth like he had before to strike them down, Kimiko used the Monkey Staff with Fire for a make-shift flamethrower of her own all while the monsters were being distracted by Omi.

But the Huai-Ren didn't stop coming. For every one that was knocked down or destroyed, two more appeared. Raimundo called for reinforcements, and more appeared, behind the first line of creatures.

"There's too many of them!" Jack yelled. "We need to finish this quickly!"

"And I believe I know how …" declared Omi. "Water!"

He flew up high with his Jet Bootsu, dodging several blasts, and, looking a little like Superman, dived diagonally downwards and rammed his head into Raimundo's stomach, knocking them both to the ground.

"Why you …!"

They rolled around on the floor, and Raimundo dropped the Dog's Nose.

"Yoink!" said Jack, swooping down to pick it up.

"NO!" yelled Raimundo, kicking Omi off him and flying up to a higher spot again. "Get him, now!"

"We should leave now!" said Jack in a panicked voice, as he ducked one Huai-Ren after another.

"Yaargh!" With a furious charging yell, Raimundo swooped down and re-entered the fray, neatly intercepting Jack's flight path and snatching the Dog's Nose out of his hands – only to have it taken away by Clay's Third-Arm Sash. One of Jack's robots snatched it back from Clay and handed it to Jack again, and Raimundo was fuming, being forced to chase after a Shen Gong Wu that should, by all rights, have been his.

Clay wasn't too pleased himself. "Watch it, ya dirty snake!" he complained, as Jack received the Shen Gong Wu from his robot. "Whose side are ya on?"

"Oops, sorry. Force of habit."

Raimundo hovered in mid-air, and snarled in frustration. He had the Star Hanabi, but it was too risky to use it underground. He could cause the entire place to come down on them. And Wuya wanted them alive … So he would have to rely on the Huai-Ren. "Get Jack! NOW!"

Five Huai-Ren began a charge towards Jack, from different directions.

"Uh oh …" Jack hastily chucked the Nose in an over-arm throw towards Kimiko, who was busy destroying a Huai-Ren with flames. "Kimiko! Think fast!"

"What?" Kimiko turned around – and was hit in the eye by the Nose. She staggered backwards slightly, holding her eye. "Ouch! SPICER! What the hell kind of throw was that?"

"I _said_, 'Think fast' …"

The Nose rolled slowly along the floor, and there was a tiny break in the action, where everyone's heads moved as one, watching it move towards a gap in the floor, where the stone slab was broken. Everyone, human and monster alike, made a mad scramble for the Shen Gong Wu, but in the end it was Kimiko and Raimundo who managed to get a hold of it.

"Kimiko, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! Your Monkey Staff versus my Golden Tiger Claws. First one to reach the Dog's Nose wins."

"Nuh-huh. That's cheating. No Tiger Claws, Rai."

"Cheating? It's not cheating! I can use 'em in a showdown if I want! And there's nothing you can do about it. Now do you accept the challenge or not?"

Dojo and Omi both waited anxiously. While it was usually up to the challenger to set the rules for the showdown, there could only be a showdown if both participants agreed to the terms. But Raimundo was adamant about using the Tiger Claws, and the challenger always had the initial advantage. If Kimiko refused to accept the challenge set by Raimundo, he would automatically win the Dog's Nose. But if she did accept the challenge, Raimundo would have an even bigger advantage.

Jack came to the rescue. "Aw, _what's the matter_?" he jeered, yet again purposely playing with Raimundo's pride. " Afraid you can't win without your precious claws? Who's the sad one now?"

Kimiko couldn't help smiling triumphantly at Raimundo's flash of anger, glad in this instance that Jack was on their side. _It's your own fault_, she thought. _You **wanted** to fight …_

"Fine," snapped Raimundo, "I'll use the Longi Kite, if only to prove to you how much stronger I've become. You'll regret goading me, Spicer."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack waved off carelessly. "Do the showdown already. We haven't got all day."

The surroundings changed as Kimiko and Raimundo signalled the start of the showdown. The ground shook tremulously; they were brought upwards, outside into the hot sands of the desert, where thick blue stone slabs shot out of the ground. Once it had finished, it became clear that, in order to claim the Dog's Nose, they would have to negotiate through a maze.

Kimiko's clothes had changed, from her outfit for the day (black jeans, white and red top, hair split into two where one side was red, the other black) to her regular red and white Xiaolin robes.

Raimundo's clothes also changed, but this time his robes were different. They looked very much like his old Xiaolin robes, except they were a deep, dark midnight blue instead of red, and black, with a vertical yellow line, where it would have been white.

The two warriors set off through the maze, taking different paths.

"Hey," said Jack, "how come he's wearing blue?" His mini-Jacks were clapping and cheering in the background. "Ki-mi-ko!" (Clap-clap-clap!) "Ki-mi-ko!" (Clap-clap-clap!)

Omi's expression was exceptionally grim. "Raimundo truly _is_ on the Heylin side now."

"But _I_ never got any robes."

"Wuya's probably been training him," said Dojo. "She couldn't train you, could she?"

"But that guy," Jack persisted. "You know, Omi's friend. The dork from New York –"

"Jermaine," Clay cut in helpfully.

"Yeah, him. He'd never trained before, and _he_ got robes."

"Well," said Dojo, "it's also probably because, deep down, you were never really working _for_ Wuya, were you? You were working _with_ her. You had your own plans."

Jack snorted softly. The way she fussed and moaned all the time, it had always seemed like she was in charge. But Dojo was right; at the time, there had been nothing Wuya could do to him, really, and the majority of the time he'd been collecting Shen Gong Wu at his own pace, not hers. _I guess he really **does** wanna do whatever Wuya wants. What a **loser** …_

"Why do you care, Jack?" chuckled Dojo. "You want a robe too, or something?"

"Oh NO. You've gotta be kidding. I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those. I was just asking. Hey, you know what?" he noticed suddenly. "We can't really see who's winning from here." It was true; from their vantage point, they could sections of the maze, but they couldn't see either Kimiko or Raimundo.

"I guess it's so we can't cheat and help Kimiko find the Nose," Clay said.

"Forget that," said Jack. He hovered upwards, and flew over the top of the roofless maze, so he could get a better view.

"Wait, Jack!" said Omi, using the Jet Bootsu to follow.

"Oh boy," said Dojo. Didn't these kids ever keep still?

While Jack continued to fly ahead, Omi spotted Kimiko out of the corner of his eye, turning around a corner, and he landed at the top of the wall.

There was a deep hole in this section of the maze, and in order to cross it, Kimiko had to use the Monkey Staff to balance across a thin wooden beam. When she reached the other side, the side nearest to Omi, he called out to her. She looked up and around before locating him on top of the maze wall.

"Omi! You're not supposed to be here!"

"I am merely here to offer moral support."

Kimiko kept on moving through the maze, turning left at a junction. Omi flew over the wall to keep up. "Stupid Raimundo," she said to him while running. "Once I beat him, he'll realise he's not so great and almighty."

"I am not sure defeating him will help …" said Omi sadly.

"Why?"

"I believe Wuya has done something to him, to make him act this way …"

Kimiko wasn't sure what Omi was getting at, but he was usually spot-on with these kinds of things; he had seen right through the Chameleon-bot's disguise when it had been impersonating her. If Omi thought there was something out-of-place about Raimundo's behaviour, then there probably _was_ something more sinister at work.

"Maybe, but I'd still better win this showdown. You leave things to me; I can get through this without you watching."

"Very well," said Omi. He didn't follow her. "Good luck."

Meanwhile Jack had managed to find Raimundo. He flew along the maze's edge, careful not to get too close, and hovered into the section of maze Raimundo was in. He cupped his hands and yelled at Raimundo. "Hey, doormat! Don't forget to lose!"

Raimundo's growl could be heard all over the maze.

Jack chuckled in response. He watched Raimundo accidentally set off a booby trap by stepping on a trigger stone. With the Longi Kite, Raimundo flew upwards to go over the gap in the floor that had appeared. He then flew up vertically, hoping to fly _over_ the walls like Jack, but he ended up banging his head on what must have been an invisible barrier in the air.

"OUCH, MAN! Ay, guess this means I can't cheat …"

Jack snickered.

"Shut up! Go and bother Kimiko, you saddo!"

"But it's much more fun to stay here and get on your nerves."

"I'll get you for this, Spicer," Raimundo snarled.

"Ooh, I'm _so_ scared."

Raimundo ignored him at this point, and headed off deeper into the maze, where he hoped Jack wouldn't follow. Jack returned to the others; hopefully that had bought Kimiko some time. He hadn't exactly meant to interfere in the showdown directly, but today he was finding it really easy to wind up Raimundo. The slightest thing seemed to make him angry.

He landed back with the others, and Omi had already returned. "Is Kimiko winning?" he asked.

"Don't know," Jack replied. "Didn't see her."

Suddenly, a flash of light, and a return to the underground chamber signified the end of the showdown. Both Kimiko and Raimundo were back in their normal clothes again. The Huai-Ren had disappeared.

"Who won?" asked Jack. It was difficult to tell; the Longi Kite and Monkey Staff were in between the two.

"Who else?" replied Kimiko, holding out the Dog's Nose.

"Well done, Kimiko!" Omi congratulated, taking the Monkey Staff and Longi Kite. "I knew you would win!"

"No …" breathed Raimundo, slumping to his knees on the ground. "I lost … How could I have lost … _again_?" For the first time, fear had a solid, firm grip on his entire body. His eyes were wide in horrified disbelief, and he shuddered. "Wuya will be furious …"

Kimiko extended her arm, holding out a friendly hand. "You don't _have_ to go back to her, Rai. You've got the Golden Tiger Claws, remember?"

"That's right," Raimundo said softly, still looking down at the floor. "I do, don't I?"

He took Kimiko's hand, and she smiled as he got up.

"Does this mean you're rejoining us, Rai?"

"Mmm …"

Suddenly, fast as lightning, he cut a huge purple hole in the air; and before anyone could react, he pushed Kimiko inside.

"Holy guacamole!" exclaimed Dojo. "Unfair misuse of trust! Disgraceful behaviour! Cheap shot, and whatnot!"

"Yeah, talk about a sore loser," said Jack, while Clay growled. Only Omi remained unsurprised. (The mini-Jack's were booing and hissing. "BOO!")

Raimundo glared at the three boys. "I may have lost, but at least I'll be able to deliver the Dragon of Fire to the Empress!" He jumped into the hole.

"Empress?" repeated Jack, before realising that if they were going to have any chance of getting Kimiko back, they'd have to follow him in. "Hold on, you little weasel!" he yelled, flying inside.

"Heads up, Omi," said Clay, picking the little monk up like a basketball and running towards the shrinking hole.

"Wait!" shouted Dojo. "You don't know where –"

"Banzai!" yelled Clay, leaping inside.

" – it leads," Dojo finished lamely, as the hole vanished. "So I guess it's just me … Jack's mini-hims … and the frozen tiger. Great, I've lost _all_ the Dragons now … These kids are too much … I definitely should've stuck to guarding the Shen Gong Wu scroll …"

* * *

Kimiko found herself in the middle of a beautiful, vast garden. It seemed so peaceful. The smells of different flowers blended together to make a sweet scent, like honey; and even the sun was shining brightly, lighting up every type of vegetation. And there were so many different kinds of plants. There were apple trees, elms, oaks, orange trees, lemon trees; roses, germaniums, chrysanthemums, daffodils … The list went on …

What _was_ this place? Was it another place like Ping-jing, that was unaffected by any disruption?

Raimundo fell out of the portal, and Kimiko growled, instinctively falling into a defensive stance. No time to stand and smell the flowers …

"You _tricked_ me, you jerk!"

"Not my fault you were dumb enough to fall for it."

Kimiko growled again, but then Jack came out of the portal, soon followed by Clay and Omi. Raimundo blinked; all three of them lunged at him and held him down firmly on the grass.

"Give it up, Raimundo," said Jack. "There's no way you can get out of this, especially with Clay's great fat weight bearing you down."

"My WHAT?"

"Uh, never mind. Point is, you've been beaten."

"Wanna bet?" smirked Raimundo.

"Eh?"

"What is this?" said Omi. The plants around them suddenly went wild, overgrowing and entangling anyone who wasn't Raimundo.

"What the hell? These plants are alive!" exclaimed Jack, finding himself in a mess of vines.

All four humans tried to fight back, but the plants grew too quickly, and soon they were trapped. They all looked a little like they had been mummified with plants instead of bandages.

Raimundo had the widest smile on his face. He had his hand in his pocket, clutching his lucky Rabbit's Foot.

"How did you do that?" Kimiko asked, her voice low and angry.

He paused in mock thought, taking his time on purpose. "Hmm … How …? Now that would be telling …"

"Let us go, you super-freak!" snarled Jack.

"You shouldn't have followed me," he replied slowly. "But I had a feeling you would …"

"Son of a … why didn't I pick the Flora Flute?" bemoaned Jack. "Would have been a helluva lot more useful than that stupid Down thing …"

But then another voice made them all look to their left; and suddenly they realised that this wasn't Raimundo's doing at all.

"It would appear I have guests. How _delightful …_"

It was Wuya. And she was grinning.


	16. Do or Die

**Uploaded: 19th March 2005**

_**Notes: **This, folks, is the last chapter. Action-packed chapter for the finale._

_Warning: Well … it's difficult to write one of these warnings without giving away what happens. But Wuya has all four of the Chosen Ones (and Jack) in her witchy clutches, so I'm sure you can guess that it ain't gonna be pretty. Torture and blood and swearing … Lots of fun. If you didn't like Raimundo before, you're gonna hate him now._

_On a side-note, I hope Clay's part came out all right. I know next to nothing about Texas. And Omi's part kinda makes him look as conceited as Jack. How did that happen?_

_Yay! Thankies, EternalFluffy. I uploaded this earlier and then realised I'd gotten your review. I guess this was a really fast update for anyone who read this today, so ... here you go, FireNeko. And thanks to anyone I haven't mentioned. It's always cool to get people's opinions on this._

* * *

**Chapter 16: Do or Die**

Wuya looked different. She was wearing dark blue and black Heylin robes, and her purple hair was tied up in a bun. Jack and Omi recognised the golden False Fleece draped around her in a tiny cape of sorts; and she had the Sun Chi Lantern hanging around her neck.

She took slow, deliberate steps, her dark eyes regarding each of them in turn. She had an eager, predatory gaze. Jack could feel another allusion to Hansel and Gretel coming. She looked like she wanted to eat them. _Damn witch_.

"We've … gotta … get out of these … vines," said Clay, trying to pull his legs and arms free.

Jack also tried to break loose, but to no avail. If he could only reach his wrist-watch … "What can we do? We're trapped."

"You could always _beg_ for your lives," Raimundo suggested snidely.

"Drop dead, Rai," Kimiko snapped.

"You've done exceptionally well, Raimundo," Wuya said, keeping her greedily smug expression on her captives.

"Thank you, your Highness," he replied, bending down on one knee and lowering his head respectfully.

"Rai! What are you doing?"

"Bowing down before the Empress of the world. You should be doing the same."

"_What_?" exclaimed Kimiko. "That's crazy!"

Jack made a snorting noise that resembled a mocking snicker. Empress of the world _indeed!_

"You don't even rule the world, and yet you're calling yourself Empress. And you called _me_ cocky!"

"Humph!" said Wuya. "Of course I rule this world! The inhabitants just don't know it yet."

"Interesting line of thought you have there, Wu," said Jack, grinning. "That sounds like something _I_ would say. You _sure_ you don't miss me?"

"Of course I don't. Unlike you, I could take over the world from here."

"Tch. You don't have that kind of power," Jack said.

"Of course I do, you fool. I have the essence of Lightning at my disposal. It would be a simple matter to make lightning rain on every person emitting chi energy. But I'll not waste my time showing you. I don't flaunt my abilities needlessly.

"Besides," she said, turning away, "I have bigger fish to fry. Once I find the other elemental temples, I'll have complete control over life and death."

_Life and death?_ thought Kimiko. _What's she talking about?_

"Thoth spilled the beans, then?" Raimundo asked, without looking up.

Wuya nodded slowly. "Yes …"

_Dammit, she got to him first,_ thought Jack.

Clay let out a low growl. "What did ya do to him?"

"He was being most uncooperative. I had to be a little … persuasive in order to loosen his tongue. But I got the information I was after … in the end."

"And then what?"

"I killed him, of course." There was no remorse in her voice. She spoke casually, as if they were discussing the morning weather. She smirked at the warriors' horrified looks. "He got off easy. Compared to what I'm about to do to you, anyway."

Omi kept a fixed stare on Raimundo as he looked up in adulation at his Empress and then turned his head round to smirk at them, the darkness in his eyes as strong as ever. It wasn't natural …

"What have you done to Raimundo?" Omi asked angrily. Even now, he still had faith in his ex-friend. Raimundo never would have bowed down to Wuya willingly, even if he was working for her. He was a rebel in the face of authority. Why would he treat _Wuya_ with such reverence?

"Hmm? Oh, he's just accepted his role as my loyal _slave_," she replied. "Isn't that right, boy?" she added, patting him on the head as if he were an obedient dog.

"Slave …?" whispered Kimiko, and Omi looked at Raimundo in shocked disbelief.

_We must help him,_ he thought. _But how?_

"Perhaps I should make you _all_ my slaves," Wuya decided, after a thoughtful pause.

"Keep dreamin', Wuya," said Clay calmly.

"We will never surrender to you!" said Omi sharply.

"No way I'm ending up like doormat-boy there," said Jack, sounding disgusted.

"We'll _never_ be your slaves, not in a million years," Kimiko said, looking as disgusted as Jack sounded.

"Oh, really? We'll have to see, won't we?"

Wuya fixed a hard, concentrated gaze on Kimiko. Her eyes were powerful and mesmeric, and Kimiko felt sleepy … Wuya could feel her will weakening, and when there was a dip in her mental barrier, she forced her way into her mind …

But Kimiko was not under the same influence of darkness that Raimundo had been; and as soon as Wuya penetrated her mind, she repelled instinctively with her own force, a red aura that forced Wuya's will right back out.

Sensing the heated power of Kimiko's Fire elemental, Wuya broke her stare. This was the reason why the Yizhi spell would only work on one with a weak, or weakened mind, because a strong spirit automatically resisted the effects of any strange presence, much like a body rejecting a donor organ. It was even less likely to work on someone with an element; and if she wasn't careful, Kimiko would break free from the vines. Fire burned Wood.

She _had_ managed to find out one thing before she been driven out, though, something quite important that had been at the top of Kimiko's mind. The warriors were staying in Ping-jing …

"Hmm … your will is strong," she told her. "But there's more than one way to slay a Dragon …"

Wuya smiled, and activated the False Fleece. A harsh, blinding light overtook the area, and the Xiaolin warriors found their memories, thoughts and feelings being mixed into a swirling blender, altering their perception of reality …

* * *

Clay stepped underneath the wooden roof of the veranda, into the shade, to take his hat off and wipe the sweat from his forehead. It had sure been one hot summer this year, and after a hard day's work, looking after and rounding up the cattle, one was bound to be feeling a little tired. Still, it was good, honest work, and it was both rewarding and satisfying that he was doing all he could to help his family out.

His favourite horse, Sheba, tossed her mane around. "Steady, Sheba, old girl." He'd always felt he had a special connection with animals, something that his mother had actively encouraged. Far easier to take care of animals on a ranch if there was someone who had a natural affinity for them. It was because of Clay's peaceable, patient temperament rather than any real skill in handling them, though, that the animals on the ranch liked him. In fact, Clay was the only one that the old cow Bessie would trust near her.

"Clay!" A slim blonde-haired woman in a cowboy get-up, complete with hat and boots, greeted him cheerfully.

"Mom …?"

Clay's blue eyes narrowed in confusion, suddenly. Something felt wrong. Had she always been here? Had _he_ always been here? He seemed to recall leaving his home on the ranch for another place, somewhere far away from Texas. But … it seemed like it happened long ago, like a distant memory. He couldn't remember what he'd done there. He shook his head and put his hat back on. It must have been a dream, nothing more.

"What's wrong, Clay?"

"Nothing, mom. Just a weird dream I had."

"You sure 'ave been workin' hard. How 'bout I whip up your fave dinner, hon?"

Clay beamed, a big ray of sunshine that was sure to brighten up anyone else who saw him. Everything was great here; he was happy. He had two loving parents. And plenty of food. Why would he want to leave? He _must_ have been dreaming.

"Thanks, mom."

* * *

Omi opened his eyes. It was a beautiful, warm spring morning. The sun shone brightly, the sky clear and blue. The crowd that had gathered to see his ceremony numbered in its thousands, and those that couldn't attend in person were watching the event live on television. Well, his achievements were well known around the world. Throughout the world's cities and villages, people had seen how he had single-handedly taken on Wuya's forces, and everyone knew that he was the one who had defeated her in the final showdown. It had been an easy victory, really; Wuya had underestimated Omi's skill, and she was once again locked away safely within the Puzzle of Gui Xian.

However, Omi couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right … Didn't he have … friends? Where were they?

Master Fung stood with Omi in front of the masses, Dojo coiled around the elder's shoulders.

"What is wrong, Grandmaster?"

Or _did_ he have friends? "I am … unsure …"

"You are nervous?"

"I bet he _is_," said Dojo.

_Yes, that must be what is wrong …_ He had never been in front of so many people at once. He was a humble boy who had grown up in an obscure, but honest village. But he had been chosen to undertake the task of protecting the world, and he had done this to the best of his ability … He had just saved the entire world, after all. It was only right that the world glorified his exploits in a grand televised event.

Long, in his human form, walked across the podium, gesturing Omi to come closer. Omi shook himself out of his thoughts and did so, and Long held out a black belt.

His voice rang out through speakers, so that all could hear: "For your bravery and for saving the world from Wuya's spell of darkness, I bestow upon you the greatest honour a Xiaolin Dragon can receive. You are hereby known as the greatest warrior of all time!"

Omi bowed, and gratefully received his sash. "Thank you."

There was loud cries of joy as the crowd cheered for him, and Omi grinned widely as the whole world chanted his name …

* * *

Kimiko was walking along a white beach, not quite sure what she was doing there. There was something she had to do, something important, but she couldn't quite remember what it was … Something to do with …

_Raimundo?_

Who was that? She could think of the name, but not the face that went with it. It was all a blur … Where was she? What _was_ she doing here?

The beach was completely empty, save for a solitary umbrella. The sky was overcast, filled with light grey clouds, but Kimiko decided to rest on the sun-bed regardless. It felt like she'd been walking for hours, and maybe she could gather her thoughts here.

"Where is Ping-jing, child?"

"W-what?" The question threw her, not least of all because it was a large green python that was asking it. But then, she felt that, in another time, another place, she had seen weird creatures speak before. The snake _had_ appeared out of the blue, though.

"Don't be scared, child. _Embrace_ your destiny …" The python slowly wrapped its thick coils around her body, its long, dark tongue flickering in and out. The seaside surroundings disappeared in a misty, grey fog, and soon all Kimiko could see in the mist were two black eyes boring deep into her soul.

Strange … in another time and place, she _would_ have been scared, too. But the serpent's eyes held her in place, and she just didn't feel like putting up any resistance … Strange.

_Ping-jing_ … Another forgotten memory … What _was_ Ping-jing? Hadn't she always lived somewhere else? Or … did she leave her family?

"I …"

"You need only think of the place, child. I shall do the rest."

Kimiko paused. Something wasn't right here …

"Perhaps I should help jog your memory …"

A dark symbol appeared in the air above her head, soon followed by another.

"Yi … zhi …?" she read, sounding dazed, and in a dreamy state.

The serpent said nothing. A different _yi_ character appeared, and Kimiko gazed into its power.

"Ping-jing …?" she said finally, her resolve weakening the more she stared at the words in the air.

"Yessss …" hissed the snake. _You're **mine** _…

* * *

Jack looked on in confusion. What had Wuya done to the other three Xiaolin warriors? They were staring blankly into the distance, as if in a trance. Was that the power of the False Fleece? Raimundo has risen to his feet and was smirking, watching the Heylin witch eagerly as she looked once more into Kimiko's eyes.

"Where is Ping-jing, child?" she asked softly.

"W-what?"

Kimiko's eyes were once more looking dreamy, heavy with subliminal suggestion. _They must be trapped within an illusion,_ Jack thought. _And with their minds distracted, they won't be able to stop Wuya from doing anything …_

"Don't be scared, child … _Embrace_ your destiny …"

_Scared?_ thought Jack. _Destiny?_ What the hell was Wuya up to?

"I …"

Jack could see that Kimiko was weakening, far more than before. But what could he do to help? He was trapped too …

"You need only think of the place, child. I shall do the rest."

_Okay, this is starting to get really creepy_, Jack thought. Wuya was projecting her thoughts into Kimiko's illusion, something Jack never thought anyone could do with the False Fleece. No wonder Dojo had told them to be careful.

Wuya said something about memory that Jack didn't quite catch. But then, as if talking to a zombie Kimiko wasn't creepy enough, she started drawing Chinese words in the space in front of her prisoner's eyes.

"Yi … zhi …" said Kimiko.

Jack hoped she wasn't putting a life-threatening curse on her. He looked around, but the other two Dragons were just as dazed as Kimiko, although they weren't speaking out loud.

_Tch. Some heroes …_

Out of nowhere, something Cloudstorm told him came into his thoughts.

"_One with strong willpower will always triumph over one who is weak-minded."_

_Weak-minded_, thought Jack. _But these guys aren't weak-minded at all, really, it's just that Wuya's cheating by using the False Fleece._

"Ping-jing?" asked trance-Kimiko.

"Yesss …"

Jack suddenly realised that if Kimiko showed Wuya, in her mind, where Ping-jing was … Wuya would be able to use the Golden Tiger Claws to get there … and then there _would_ be a reason for those idiots at the village to be alarmed.

"Fight it!" he yelled, just as Wuya was about to write the final _zhi_ character to complete the spell. "None of it's real! Wuya's trying to trick you, but you can't listen to any of it! You're stronger than that! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Kimiko, Omi and Clay were pulled out of their reverie. It seemed that in order for the illusion to work, absolute silence was required from anyone other than the person who used the Fleece.

Clay looked angry, a bitter sadness and sense of loss radiating from his eyes. "None of it … was real …" he said quietly.

"Disappointing," said Omi. Following in Dashi's footsteps and becoming a Grandmaster had been one of his life-long dreams.

Kimiko scowled. "You'll have to do better than that, Wuya."

"No …" whispered Wuya, taking a step backwards. "I was _so __close_ …" She whirled round and faced Jack. "You miserable child! Why weren't _you_ affected?"

Jack had a feeling it was because of the Sunbird Down he was wearing underneath his jacket. But there was no way he'd let Wuya know that.

He laughed instead, sticking his tongue out at her. "Ha-ha! So much for your plan to enslave us, Wuya. Are you trying to bore me to death with your _suppos-ed_ evilness, or what?"

Wuya gave him a sharp, murderous look. "That's it. You've annoyed me for the last time, _Jack Spicer._" She held her hand right next to his head, and a black ball, pulsing with dark energy, formed. "Time to _die_."

Jack's laugh became nervous, both red eyes looking at what really would be a ball of death. Would she really kill _him_? After everything he'd done for her?

"Heh, heh … no need to kill me, Wu."

"Oh no?" she said, continuing to pin him under a furious stare that only increased his nervousness. "And why not?"

" 'Why not?' she says. Remember me? Jack Spicer? Your former partner? The person who _released_ you?"

Wuya removed her hand, dispersing the black energy harmlessly, and she folded her arms, deciding to humour him. _He's trying to convince me **not** to kill him_ … _This should be amusing …_

"Your point being?"

"The least you could do is _not_ kill me and let me go."

Wuya laughed, a frosty laughter that held no mirth. "_Let_ _you__ go?_ I don't think so. Aren't you on _their _side? You just messed up my spell. I'm angry, Jack. _Very_ angry. And I'm not pleasant when I'm angry. People have this odd habit of _dying_ when I'm angry."

Her eyes flashed with a burning rage as she spoke, and yet, at the same time they were glossed over with a chilling cruelness, a complete lack of mercy and compassion. Jack was treading on hot ice.

But, as ever, he remained completely undaunted. "I'm on any side that results in me staying alive," he replied coolly. "I only joined them because you froze my parents. But now that they're okay … well … why should I get killed because of those so-called heroes? I'm not exactly a good guy myself."

"Jack!" Kimiko scolded, feeling betrayed once more. Clay wasn't so surprised, however; he'd never really trusted Jack. Omi was yet again confused by the boy genius' actions: if Jack hadn't been on their side, then why had he just stopped Wuya from manipulating their minds? Or helped them at all, for that matter?

"What?" Jack said innocently, not sounding like he thought he was doing anything wrong. "I'm only looking out for the number one person in the universe – _me_. You guys were cramping my evil style anyway."

"Same old Jack," grumbled Kimiko.

"No lie," agreed Wuya, a small smile appearing suddenly. "Very well, Jack. I let you off before because you set me free … and I'll do so again now." The vines disappeared into the grass. "But don't let me regret my decision."

Jack couldn't believe his luck, but was cautious enough not to reveal any outer emotions. He deliberately avoided Raimundo's furious scowl. "So … what now?"

"You've been to Ping-jing too, haven't you?"

"Yeah … so what?"

Wuya turned to face them. "Good. Because I've had enough. I think I'll _kill_ the Dragons … starting with the Dragon of Fire."

"Kimiko?" Jack said, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"Yes … it should prove an interesting test to see where your loyalties truly lie."

"Go ahead," he said calmly, without a trace of concern in his voice. "I don't care about her. Not any more. She's in my way."

"You wouldn't care if anything happened to her?" Wuya asked, still smiling.

"No," said Jack bluntly.

"Jack. …" said Kimiko. _Whose side **are** you on? _"I thought you were helping us …"

"Helping you? Ha! That was just a ruse. Why would I want to help you? You never trusted me anyway! Maybe if I join Wuya, you'll finally respect me!"

Kimiko fought very hard not to shout at him. She wanted to be angry, but what was the point? Jack was the proverbial brick wall – you couldn't talk any sense to him. And why was she surprised, anyway? Jack was a jerk. A big fat jerk, who didn't care about anyone but himself.

Raimundo looked at Wuya, who gave the slightest of nods, and then he smirked at Jack knowingly. "You don't mind if anything happens to her?"

"No," Jack repeated, sounding exasperated.

"Not even if I did this?" Raimundo aimed the Star Hanabi at Kimiko, and fired.

Jack didn't flinch.

The blast eroded through the plants, but at the same time caused her to crash on the grass.

"Kimiko!" Omi called. "Are you all right?"

"Ugh …"

Raimundo aimed a kick at her, but she quickly scrambled to her feet. She raised her hand defensively, but was met once again at close range with a destructive blast from the Star Hanabi. He kicked her several times in the ribs.

"Raimundo! Please stop!" cried Omi. "Kimiko is your friend!"

Raimundo didn't stop. He only kicked her harder. On, and on, more, and more, one after the other … He _couldn't_ stop. He was releasing all his pent up rage, all his fury, channelling forceful anger into each one of his blows.

"Pathetic," he sneered finally. "You couldn't even use your element to defend yourself. I can't believe I wasn't made a Xiaolin apprentice …"

He picked Kimiko up. Blood was pouring from her nose and dripping down the side of her face, marred by several bruises, and there was a dark stain in her white top where blood was leaking through. She opened her eyes half-way.

"Raimundo …?"

He punched her hard in the stomach.

"You bastard!" snarled Clay.

"No … " coughed Kimiko, "it's not his fault …"

"Not his fault?" Clay snapped, his voice rising to the level of a roar. He didn't understand. To him, it looked as if Raimundo was enjoying this. It didn't look like he was a mindless zombie at all; you could see in his eyes that he was still very much in control of both his mind and body.

But Kimiko had figured out what Omi had known since they had first seen him in Thoth's temple. This was not the same Raimundo. It felt as though some of his worst traits had been brought to surface and made a hundred times worse. It was almost as if he was a different person. Wuya had definitely done something to him.

"There's … there's something about him … he's different …"

"Yeah," he said, eyes glittering with darkness, "I'm stronger. More powerful than you'll ever be. _Wind!_" He focused hard, manipulating the air molecules around Kimiko, and she began to choke and cough.

"Careful, don't kill her," Wuya chided gently. "I need her essence." Raimundo had learned to control his element remarkably quickly in the training session that morning, obviously fuelled by the need to outdo the other Dragons. But he still had yet to learn restraint.

He nodded in acknowledgement, and let Kimiko breathe. He resumed his kicking frenzy.

Jack wanted to wince, but forced himself to keep his emotions into check. He had to, if he wanted to get close enough to Wuya to do some real damage. It wasn't hard, seeing as he rarely showed his true feelings, but then he saw Wuya's expression.

A tiny, but self-satisfied smile was on her face, and she looked composed and expectant, a tiger stalking the dark night, lying in wait, poised to strike.

_She knows,_ Jack realised, with horrified despair. _She knows I'm bluffing, that I wouldn't let her kill Kimiko. She let me go on purpose. She's just waiting to see how long I'm willing to keep up the pretence._

"Make him stop!" Jack yelled at last, running forward as Raimundo delivered another hard kick to Kimiko's stomach.

"I knew it," Wuya said smugly, her smile becoming larger. Once again vines grew from the ground and ensnared Jack, preventing him from reaching her. "I _knew_ you were on their side. But it doesn't matter … I no longer need your services, _pathetic__ boy_. I already got what I wanted from _you_ …"

She kicked him in the back, forcing him to his knees, and then drew the word for float (_piao_), causing Jack, still bound by rope-like vines, to float in mid-air. "Although, I _could_ use another pet …" She made a circular motion with her right hand, and Jack was turned upside down, his red hair dangling. "Something to … _play_ with."

"Go to hell, bitch!"

"Impudent child!"

She hit him with a black ball from her hand, sending him flying several feet, and he cried out in pain as his back connected with a sharp, jagged rock, before falling onto his stomach.

"You'll soon learn to accept my supremacy over your paltry existence," she said, her wintry voice laced with blazing anger. Lightning from her hands surged through Jack's body … the pain was excruciating and burned through every organ, and his piercing screams filled the air for all of three minutes, although it seemed like it was far longer. Even Clay winced; and Jack was sure that at any second, he was going to die …

But she stopped. And Jack refused to give up. He was panting heavily, and his eyes were half open, his vision blurred; and yet he still found the strength to speak.

"I'll … never … serve you …"

"We'll see how rebellious you are after a few days of torture. I'll show you pain _beyond_ pain …"

_Jack …_ thought Kimiko.

"No …" she said out loud, and Wuya turned her frosty gaze onto her.

"As for you, child," Wuya said, bending down and forcing the badly beaten Dragon of Fire to her feet, "you'll serve me better in death."

"Get bent," Kimiko snarled, still very much full of life, despite her injuries.

"I'm going to _savour_ the taste of your essence," Wuya whispered coldly in her ear, "right down to the _very last drop_."

Feeling pained and dizzy, Jack watched helplessly as Wuya used the Sun Chi Lantern to drain Kimiko's chi energy. Clay struggled with renewed vigour, trying desperately to use his great strength to his advantage. But it was no use. He was always overwhelmed by greater force from the plants. Omi was faring even worse. He had a suspicion that both their elements were weakened by Wood. But that didn't mean he didn't have a plan …

Jack lay miserably on the ground._ "Wuya," _he remembered Cloudstorm saying,_ "can drain people of their jing, provided she's taken their chi first."_

_No_, thought Jack, the full realisation of what he'd done finally crashing down on him. _What have I done?_ This was all his fault … he shouldn't have pissed Wuya off … he should have let her enslave them … at least they'd still be alive … Why couldn't he take things more seriously?

_Kimiko …_

His thoughts swirled round and round in a spinning vortex of guilt and self-blame. But before he could drown in a whirlpool of despair, another sentence from Cloudstorm's speech rose up to the surface of Jack's sea of memories …

"_When all hope is lost, you can always call upon your inner strength."_

_Inner strength_ … If there was ever a time he needed some help – well, now was that time.

_I … have to do something …_

He closed his eyes, and … let go. He forgot that he was lying on the floor, trapped within vines, that Kimiko was about to die, that they were prisoners within the courtyard of Wuya's palace. He _reached_ inside, _feeling_ for an energy within him … and with a sudden, explosive surge of power, he broke free from his verdant bonds. Wuya immediately released Kimiko, dropping her to the ground, and Wuya and Raimundo both watched as Jack, surrounded by an orange aura, suddenly pulled a sword out of the air, as if by magic.

However, Jack was terribly inexperienced, and not very brave, when it came to the crunch. He panicked, his moment of heroism gone. Completely untrained in the art of fighting, he had no idea how to wield a sword properly. He held it shakily, still feeling bruised and in a lot of pain now that the initial rush of power had worn off. Raimundo showed some more mastery of the Wind element, hoisting Jack into the air with a mini-tornado, and this held him just long enough in the air for Wuya to restrain him using a Bind spell instead. The Bind spell conjured a rope and tied arms and legs together. Jack was once again lying on the floor, although this time he had a very hateful glare aimed at Wuya.

"Metal," Wuya said, eyes wide open in incredulous shock. Now she knew what she had sensed back in the Horn of Qilin cave, that familiar and yet unfamiliar presence that she had been unable to identify … It had been Jack all along, although his power hadn't truly manifested itself at the time.

"You … possess the element of Metal …"

Jack's glare intensified. "Bet you wish you hadn't thrown me aside _now_," he sneered tauntingly.

"On the contrary, Jack," Wuya replied, her voice devoid of any warmth. "It just means you'll have to die today too." She levitated his body, and snapped her fingers, removing the ropes. She then drew a blue hexagon shape in the air. A blue crystal appeared around Jack, and, though he was no longer bound by ropes, he was trapped within a crystalline prison.

"Before I kill _you,_ though," Wuya hissed, "I'll kill your 'girlfriend'. I'll make you watch as she dies, bit by bit, piece by piece."

Once again she picked Kimiko up, this time her hand glowing purple. She turned her head sideways, looking deliberately at Jack. "How do you feel, knowing that you're powerless to prevent her death?"

Jack growled in response, and then slumped his head against the wall of the crystal in defeat. This was it. They'd lost. Game over.

Kimiko shuddered as she felt Wuya's chilling whisper in her ear. "Your essence is mine. Xiqu – "

"Yaargh!" yelled Omi and Clay, exploding out of their plant bonds, much like Jack had. Omi instinctively flew towards Kimiko, but Raimundo prevented him from getting any closer with a few blasts from the Star Hanabi, so he stopped advancing, hovering next to Clay.

"How did you get free?" Wuya asked in amazement. She looked closely at Omi's Jet Bootsu, which were emitting a trail of steam underneath; and then she saw the ice scattered on the floor.

Raimundo wasn't the only one who could manipulate the molecules of his element, Wuya realised. While she and Raimundo had been distracted by Jack's sudden escape, Omi had used the Jet Bootsu to make water vapour from the soles of the boots. He had frozen the water, carefully forming ice around the plants that were holding himself and Clay. Clay had done the rest, smashing them out of the frozen plants with the Third-Arm Sash.

"Clever," Wuya admitted quietly, nodding her head slightly at Omi. "I see you've also gained control of your element. But you're still no match for me."

"Release Kimiko," Omi growled.

"Or _what_? Am I supposed to be intimidated by your meagre show of force? But if you're really so eager to die …"

She encased Kimiko in another of the crystal prisons and said to Raimundo, "Guard Kimiko. I'm going to have some fun with the _little rats_."

"What now, Omi?" muttered Clay, who couldn't help thinking that the only rat there was Raimundo, his disposition towards Jack notwithstanding. "This was _your_ plan …"

"Uh … I do not know." They were doing exactly what they'd been warned not to do: taking Wuya head-on. But what else could they do? If they did nothing, they would most certainly die. "But we cannot give up."

Omi and Clay did not charge in to attack, as that hadn't worked last time; and she had all her powers now. So they waited for her to make the first move. They were both tense with anticipation, expecting her to hit them with an elemental attack, a magic spell, or with one of those black balls. Omi figured she would most probably try to hit him with Lightning since he was of the Water element. Clay's Earth element offered him some resistance to Lightning, so she would be more likely to try the Wood element on him again.

But Wuya surprised them with her next attack. Instead of firing Lightning, she shot a spell, a black beam that soared into the air and divided into several streams of dark light, like a firework going off and exploding in the sky. And hordes upon hordes of Huai-Ren appeared out of the ground.

"Crap," said Clay.

While the Huai-Ren were still emerging, she waved her hand, and a black wind howled and wailed around them, forming a twisted, clasping hand of darkness that stole away the Jet Bootsu and the Third-Arm Sash. It was the same Removal spell that she had used to take the Two Ton Tunic from Omi.

"Double crap!" said Clay.

She grinned a toothy grin. "Ready to die?"

This time she did summon the powers of her elementals, seeming to go full out. Everything around them rumbled and shook as gigantic beanstalk-like tentacles erupted from the land. Because of the sheer numbers of Huai-Ren, the two warriors were trapped and could not easily move out of the way. Clay became trapped by the plants once more; but little Omi jumped up high, using the Huai-Ren as stepping stones to avoid the oncoming tendrils. Wuya switched elements, knowing that Omi would be particularly weakened by Lightning. Omi would not be stopped so easily, however, leaping, dodging and ducking away from any Lightning bolts, while at the same time avoiding Raimundo's Wind tornadoes _and_ all of the growling Huai-Ren.

From within his prison, Jack smiled. For the first time since he met the little monk, he found himself respecting him. He admired Omi's skill and bravery. Only Omi would have been able to dodge Lightning – and everything else – like that.

Wuya snarled impatiently, barking an order to Raimundo; and not even Omi could avoid the taller boy as he leaped out of a Tiger Claw portal directly in front of him, to fire a Star Hanabi shot in his chest at point-blank range. Wuya promptly followed up with a lightning blast, and Omi cried out in pain. She flew closer with the Jet Bootsu, and when she was close enough she drew the hexagon shape over Omi, before doing the same to Clay. Now they were all trapped within the strange structures.

"Shit," swore Jack. If only _he'd_ been able to control his element … Why did he always feel so useless?

She made lightning appear within Omi's crystal, eliciting tortured screams; but now the sound was muffled, distorted by the walls of his prison. Clay banged furiously against his walls, hollering for her to stop. To his surprise, she did, but she gave him a disdainful look as she returned to where she'd left Kimiko in her crystal. Wuya had a sense of purpose about her, and that worried him. She was moving in for the kill again …

"Leave Kimiko alone!" he yelled, not quite able to hide the desperation in his voice no matter how hard he tried.

Wuya ignored him. She waved her hand unsympathetically and Kimiko's crystal disappeared; and she caught Kimiko before she reached the floor, roughly jerking her up so that she was forced to stand. Wuya's hand glowed purple.

Both Omi and Jack joined Clay in yelling protests, but Wuya paid no attention to them, knowing full well that there was nothing they could do to stop her this time. Kimiko looked up into cruel, pitiless eyes.

"Die," Wuya rasped coldly. "_Xiqu jing_ …!"

The three boys called out Kimiko's name; and cruel, resounding laughter rang out, mixing with terrified, agonised screams. Kimiko found little solace in the knowledge that they would be the last things she would ever hear …

* * *

_**Notes: **This continues in the sequel, which is called __Dream Tomorrow. It's also up on this site._


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